Coordinator Challenge
by elliexchan
Summary: While Ash and company are in Sinnoh, what's going on with May in Johto? Read to find out. Contestshipping! This is going to be a long story! UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

Coordinator Challenge:  
While Ash and company are in Sinnoh, what's going on with May in Johto? Read to find out. Contestshipping in a few more chaps.!

* * *

**Chapter 1  
Rated G**

"May, honey, will you come down here? You have a phone call!" called Caroline, May's mother from downstairs. Caroline brushed her auburn zigzag pigtails off her shoulders and smoothed out her tan v-neck blouse.

"Who is it, Mom?" asked May as she ran down the stairs, tying a red bandana with a white Poké ball print on her head. Her brown hair that was parted into two sides bounced up and down as made her way into the living room.

"It's Professor Oak," answered Caroline, handing the phone to her. Once May grabbed the phone, Caroline made her way back into the kitchen to continue cooking dinner, her white heels clicking on the wood floor and her knee length reddish skirt swishing behind her as she walked.

_Professor Oak? What does he want with me?_ "Hello, Professor Oak," greeted May into the receiver, seeing Professor Oak's face on the screen. He had not changed much, still having his ruffled gray hair and wrinkles on his face.

"Hello, May. It's been a while, hasn't it? One, two months?"

"About one, I think," she answered. "Anyways, why'd you call?"

"Well, I heard from Ash that you were going to head to Johto and I need to ask you a favor."

"A favor? What is it?"

"Professor Elm, an old student of mine in New Bark Town specializes in Pokémon evolution and breeding. I have some new research and I thought Professor Elm would like to see it before it gets published," he explained.

"What does that have to do with me?" asked clueless May, pulling on her black and white gloves.

"Um, I thought you could deliver it for me. It's very valuable information and I don't think I could trust anyone else."

"Oh, and since I was heading there, I could take it for you," repeated May, processing the information in her head.

"Exactly. So, will you help me out?" asked the professor eagerly.

"Sure! Of course I will! But how will I pick it up?"

"How are you planning to get to Johto?"

"Well I was going to take a ship from here in Petalburg to Vermillion City. Then I was going to head to Saffron City and then ride the train to Goldenrod. That's where the next contest is going to be," she explained.

"I'll send one of my colleagues to Vermillion with the research and from there you'll take it to Professor Elm. I need to get it there as soon as possible. It may a breakthrough. When are you planning on leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

"Good thing I caught you on time, then. It takes about two days to get to Vermillion from Petalburg so I'll send my colleague in Vermillion in three days. Meet them by the Pokémon center, please. And how long is it until the contest in Goldenrod?"

"If I leave tomorrow, I have exactly one month."

"Then you should be able to get to New Bark Town and back in less than a month."

"No problem. You can count on me, Professor!" said May enthusiastically.

"Thank you, May. I knew I could count on you," smiled the professor.

"Hee hee, yeah," she responded bashfully. "Oh, before I forget, how's my Bulbasaur?"

"It's doing just fine," said Professor Oak. "Speaking of which, I better get going know. It's feeding time and I can't leave Tracey doing all the work by himself."

"Of course. Good-bye, Professor. And don't worry. I won't let you down!"

"I wouldn't think that for a minute. Good luck in your contests. I hope you win your way to the top," encouraged the professor.

"I will! Bye!" said May confidently.

"Good-bye, May." The professor and May hung up their phones and May walked into the kitchen to find her father and little brother at the dining table.

"So, May, what did Professor Oak want?" asked Norman, her father and gym leader, curiously. He was a handsome man and a good father. Norman pulled his dark blue hair back and waited for May's response.

"He wants me to take some research to Professor Elm in New Bark Town. It's pretty valuable information, according to him, so he wants someone he trusts to take it," exclaimed May happily, fixing the collar of her red blouse to keep her from jumping up and down excitedly.

"'Information', what a big word," said Max sarcastically. He was bitter he couldn't go with May to Johto. Max had to stay home so he could prepare to become a trainer in a year.

"Max! Don't say rude things to your sister. She's not dumb," scolded Caroline from the stove.

"I never said she was, Mom. You said it right now," replied Max smartly.

"Max! Don't get smart with your mother," warned Norman.

"Sorry," he apologized, pulling his long hair out of his face. Like father, like son, Max had his father's hair color and eyes, with the exception that Max had glasses.

"Anyways, are you ready, dear?" asked Caroline as she walked towards the table with a pot of spaghetti in her hands. She was sad her only daughter was leaving again but she knew she couldn't crush her daughter's dreams. Caroline just hoped she wouldn't be very lonely during her journey.

"Yup. I packed everything I thought I might need. Pokédex, Poké balls, Pokémon medicine, Pokémon food, food for me, extra clothes and stuff like that. I'm prepared for everything!"

"What Pokémon are you going to take?" asked Max curiously.

"Blaziken, Munchlax, Squirtle and Eevee," answered May prepared.

"You don't want to take Beautifly or Skitty?" asked Norman. May had left them in the Petalburg Gym before she left for the Battle Frontier.

"No. As much as I would like to, I think it'd be better if my other Pokémon participate in contests since Beautifly and Skitty have already participated in more contests than the ones I'm taking," explained May. Her butterfly and pink kitten Pokémon had been some of her first Pokémon so it was only fair they stayed home so that the others could have a chance.

"Oh. Good idea," replied Max, taking a bite of spaghetti. A bit off sauce ended up on his green polo shirt.

"I agree," added Caroline. "Let's start eating so the food doesn't get cold."

At Caroline's request, the family ate in silence until they were done.

"Well we should go to bed. You're gonna leave early tomorrow. My baby's leaving me again," said Caroline tearfully.

"Mom! I'm eleven now!" complained May. She really didn't mind though. May knew it was hard for her mother for her to leave all the time.

"You'll always be my baby!" exclaimed Caroline, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Good night, sweetie." She kissed Max's forehead as well. "Go to sleep, honey. We have to get up early tomorrow to drop May off."

"Okay, Mom. Good night."

"Good night."

And with that, the family headed upstairs and into their respective bedrooms for the last time together in a while.

* * *

"And don't forget to call every night so we can make sure you're all right. You do have money, right?" ranted Caroline.

"Yes, Mom," answered May zombie-like. She pulled up her black biker shorts and white skirt a bit and her red blouse down.

After Caroline finished her checklist of things to make sure May had, she planted a huge kiss on her cheek and gave her a big hug. "I'm gonna miss you so much, May," said Caroline as she hugged her daughter, her voice cracking a bit.

"Mom, I'm gonna miss you too," responded May, her eyes getting teary.

After Caroline let go of her, May hugged her tall father.

"Take care, May," he said sadly. "Make your old man proud."

"I will, Dad," she agreed, getting on her toes and kissing his cheek. When May let go of Norman, she left his red striped shirt a bit wrinkled.

Then she walked up to Max, who was trying his best to stay strong.

"May, can you do me a favor?" asked Max softly.

"What is it?"

"Promise me that when you come back, we'll travel together," asked Max.

"Only if you promise me that you'll be a good trainer and take care of my Pokémon," responded May.

"It's a deal," he said, hugging her.

She hugged him back, trying to hold back her tears. Though she and Max bickered a lot, they had a strong bond that no one could break.

The warning horn was heard, advising all passengers to be aboard. May ruffled his blue hair one last time as she started walking onto the deck of the ship.

After a few minutes of mouthing words to her family, the captain announced it was time to leave. As the ship left the dock, she waved good-bye to her family, letting tears run down her cheeks.

The ship set sail and left the harbor. May's family waved from the docks and May sadly waved back. "Bye! I'll miss you! I love you!"

"We love you too!" called back Norman. He comforted Caroline as she wiped her eyes with a tissue.

"Come back soon!" shouted Max.

"I will!"

They continued to yell encouraging and comforting words until the ship was too far away.

May sighed and wiped her tears. She was going to be alone for a while so she might as well get used to it. May picked up her black backpack and slung it on her shoulders as she made her way down the long hallways to her cabin. Her cabin was as plain as a room in a Pokémon Center: A plain, white-sheet bed and a small, rectangular window to look out of.

It was about 5:30 a.m. so she decided she would take a nap so she could pass the time. She slipped off her red, white and yellow tennis shoes and put them by the side of her bed. May lay back on the bed tiredly and closed her eyes as she hadn't gotten much sleep earlier that night. She had so many questions on her mind. Would she win any contests? Would she make any new friends? Would she meet any old friends? At that question, an image of a cocky green-haired boy popped into her head. She shook her head to get his picture out of her mind.

_Why do I keep thinking about him? Sure, it was partially his idea to go to Johto for contests but why do I keep thinking about him? I came here for me. Not to see him! It's probably nothing. I'm just tired._

May was so exhausted that that was the last thing she thought about before she fell asleep in her small private cabin.

* * *

So, what'd u think of my first fanfic? I accidently put it in "fanfiction" until sailor satun told me it should be here. plus, she gave me some good advice. thanks again! i'll have chapter 2 soon. I think drew's gonna make his first actual appearance in chapter 4. i have to build up the story first. thanks for reading! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2  
Rated G **

* * *

Later that morning, May awoke around noon. She felt a little better and decided to stretch her legs before she ate her breakfast, which would actually be her lunch. May slipped on her tennis shoes and left her backpack in her room, only taking her fanny pack with her to the deck.

"Come out, everyone!" she commanded, throwing four Poké balls in the air.

First came out her Blaziken, her starter and strongest Pokémon. A fierce fighting fire chicken. It's body was mostly red, except it's hair which was white. "Blaze!"

Then a blue and white teddy bear like Pokémon came out. "Munchlax!" it said hungrily, looking up at May.

"Squirt!" cried the small turtle Pokémon. It was cute water Pokémon she had obtained from Professor Oak. Squirtle's shell was an orange-red color, contrasting to the turtle's blue skin.

"Vee!" said a brown, dog-like Pokémon. Eevee was May's youngest Pokémon, and among one of the mischievous.

"Hey guys," she said sadly as she sat down on the deck of the ship. "You hungry?"

The Pokémon nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

May smiled and fed the Pokémon their breakfast she had packed earlier in her fanny pack and watched them play. Surprisingly, May wasn't hungry. She was still a little depressed at the thought of traveling alone. Sure, she had her Pokémon, but she wished she had some human company.

"Blaze!" said Blaziken worriedly, interrupting May's thoughts.

"Oh, Blaziken, it's you," said the startled May. Blaziken sensed it's trainer's distress and decided to keep her company while the younger Pokémon played together. "You're worried about me, right? Thanks."

Blaziken sat down next to her and watched the waves splash onto the ship's steel side.

"Passengers of the S. Lapras, lunch will start being served in thirty minutes and will be closed in two hours time. Repeat: Passengers of the S. Lapras, lunch will start being served in fifteen minutes and will be closed in two hours time," said the Captain over the loudspeaker.

_"S. Lapras?" That's a funny name for a boat. But it fits it all the same. Wait, didn't Soledad have a Lapras? Her appeal in the Grand Festival was gorgeous. I can see why she won the Ribbon Cup. I just hope I've gotten stronger. I want to beat her this time! And Drew too! Drew…I wonder if he'll be at the Goldenrod Contest._

After a few minutes of silence, May told her Pokémon, "I'm gonna go get some breakfast, okay? You guys stay here. Blaziken, you're in charge. Listen to Blaziken or you'll get a talking to later!"

The young Pokémon nodded their heads in agreement and then resumed with their game.

"Make sure they don't get into any mischief, Blaziken."

"Blaze," it reassured.

"Okay, I'll be back as soon as I can!" she called. Only Blaziken acknowledged, as the young ones were too busy playing.

* * *

After a thirty minute "breakfast", May walked back onto the deck to find her Pokémon just where she'd left them. She hadn't been very hungry but decided it was best to eat so she wouldn't pass out or anything.

Squirtle, Eevee and Munchlax seemed to be playing some form of tag while Blaziken watched from the corner of it's eye.

"All right! I'm back!" called May, running towards them.

Blaziken breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed. May giggled at the thought of her oldest Pokémon Poké-sitting.

The young ones cheered and ran up to greet their owner, wondering if they bought anything for them.

"Sorry guys. They were pretty strict about leaving with food from the dining room," she apologized. They were a bit disappointed but cheered up when May said, "Let's train for our next contest! Which one of you should I use?"

"Vee!" volunteered Eevee, jumping onto May's lap. Young as it may be, it loved being the center of attention.

"Eevee, you want to be in the contest?"

"Vee!"

"Okay! Since you haven't been in a contest in a while, then I'll use you. Sorry guys."

The others shook their heads. It was only fair for Eevee to partipate.

"Thanks guys. You're the best!"

They smiled happily and decided to find a new game to play as Eevee had some training to do.

"What should we do for our appeal, Eevee?" asked May, scratching the top of Eevee's head thoughtfully.

"Vee?" it answered cluelessly.

After a few minutes of thought, she exclaimed, "I know! Dig and Shadowball!"

"Vee?" asked Eevee confused.

"You dig some holes and shoot Shadowballs from different holes!"

"Vee, vee!" said Eevee excitedly.

"We can't practice Dig here, so let's practice Shadowball!" she suggested, carrying Eevee to the farthest edge of the deck where they faced the sea. May put Eevee on the edge. "See those rocks over there?" asked May, pointing to the row of jagged rocks nearby. Eevee nodded. "Aim a Shadowball over there. Go!"

At May's command, Eevee sent a Shadowball towards the rocks, but it missed and crashed into the water, spending droplets into the air.

Eevee looked down disappointed but May encouraged it by saying, "It's okay, Eevee. We haven't practiced in a while so it's okay if you miss. Practice makes perfect so let's get practicing."

Eevee smiled and sent another Shadowball towards the rocks. This time, it didn't miss and sent bits of rock flying.

"Good job, Eevee. See, that's what happens when you believe in yourself!" she congratulated.

"Vee, Vee!" it cheered happily.

After a few hours of training and perfecting Shadowball, the sun was starting to set.

"Return, everyone!" she commanded as Eevee, Blaziken, Munchlax and Squirtle returned to their Poké balls. Better get some dinner. I'm arriving tomorrow afternoon so I have to sleep a little early.

* * *

May managed to sneak some food into her cabin by hiding it in her fanny pack. "Come out!" On her words, her traveling companions came out of their Poké balls and towards May eagerly.

May had bought enough noodles with her, enough for everyone. The Pokémon ate the food gratefully, tired of eating nothing but Poké block and Poké food for a while.

When the Pokémon finished, she let them play quietly while she read her guidebook. Max had bought it for her as a going away present. It was indeed a very handy book to have around. She understood why Brock always had one.

After an hour of interesting reading, May returned her Pokémon to their Poké balls for a good night sleep. May kicked off shoes and took off her red bandana, folding neatly by her nightstand. Then she slipped into a black spaghetti strap tank top, only keeping her biker shorts on and climbed into her bed.

She was excited that she was going to land soon that she could barely sleep. One more month until the Pokémon Contest! I'm so happy. I have to finish perfecting Eevee's appeal so it could be ready. I think I might have to train Eevee a bit. It's Shadowball seemed a bit weak and I haven't trained with it in a while.

May closed her eyes sleepily and dozed off into a deep sleep.

* * *

May yawned as she woke up the next morning. It was 10 a.m. and in about three hours, she would arrive in Vermillion City. Gathering her clothes, she walked into the bathroom to take a quick shower so she could be ready for the adventures to come.

Luckily for May, her parents got her a room with a shower. May was grateful as she adjusted the water's temperature to her liking. She took of her clothes and dumped in a pile as she climbed inside. May lathered up her brown hair until it was white and bubbly with her favorite shampoo and conditioner. She closed her eyes as the water ran down and rinsed her hair. _Just a few more hours! I can't wait to arrive! I'm so excited! But…it's not like I'm gonna see anyone yet…_May opened her blue eyes sadly as she continued with her shower. Ten more minutes passed and May was finished with her shower.

She dried her body and put on fresh underclothes. Then May dried her hair, which had repositioned itself in two sides as usual. Before she put on her usual attire, she rubbed a sweet scented lotion on her body. _I'm glad Mom bought this for me. It smells so good…like…roses…Roses! _May felt a chill run up her spine. _It's just a coincidence. _She reassured herself as she put on her red blouse, adjusting the collar. Her blouse had a thick black lining underneath the collar, which was why she wore her black biker shorts with it. May slipped on her white skirt over the biker shorts and pulled up her black socks. She brushed her hair and tied her bandana on top of her head. Once she was satisfied with her look in the mirror, she walked back into her bedroom.

May tied on her tennis shoes she left by her bedside the previous night and snapped the yellow fanny pack around her waist. As she was headed out the door, she said aloud, "Oh, I almost forgot!" She ran back inside and picked up her black and white gloves. They were more a necessity than a fashion statement. She was used to having them on her hands, protecting her from cuts and such. "Better go call Mom."

* * *

"May! I missed you so much! Are you all right?" asked Caroline over the phone. She was wearing her usually clothes, except she wore an apron over them.

"Mom, I just left yesterday," reminded May.

"That doesn't stop me from missing my favorite daughter!" responded Caroline, purple eyes twinkling in amusement.

"I'm your only daughter," she replied flatly.

"And that's why you're my favorite! But, are you really okay? I mean, you're going to be alone. Anytime you want to come home, I'll come for you!"

"Thanks Mom, but I'm fine. I can handle it," she said, half lying.

"Well, if you're sure…" replied Caroline hesitantly.

"Yes Mom, I'm sure. Oh, Mom, I'm sorry but someone else has to use the phone. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, dear. Good luck and take care, May. I love you!"

"I love you too, Mom. Tell Dad and Max I said, 'Hi!'"

"I will. Bye, honey."

"Bye, Mom," she said as she hung up the phone. Her stomach grumbled hungrily. She laughed nervously as the next person in line looked at her curiously. _Better get some something to eat before I arrive._

* * *

May walked out the dining hall, her belly full and satisfied. She figured she should eat a good meal before she resumed eating nothing but fast cooked for a while. May glanced at the clock over her head. _12:24…12:45! I'm going to reach shore in fifteen minutes! _Forgetting she was full, May ran into her cabin and quickly packed her things, which wasn't much anyways.

"Attention all passengers, we will be arriving at the Vermillion City hHarbor in ten minutes. Please gather your belongings and wait patiently in your cabins. We will release you section by section. Make sure you do not forget any belongings. S. Lapras will not be held responsible for any lost or missing items," announced the Captain on his loudspeaker.

_Section by section? I'm in Section B so I'll be released second. That's good so I can hurry and meet up with Professor Oak's colleague. Then I can head to Saffron and finally Goldenrod! _

May tried to sit as still as possible, hugging her knees patiently as she waited for the ship to arrive at the Vermillion City Harbor.

* * *

May jumped off the stairs of the ship happily. She spun around once, glad to do anything she pleased now that she was back on land.

"May!" yelled a familiar voice from the distance.

_Is that...?_ May could barely make out the voice's owner but as it came closer, she recognized it and gasped in surprise.

* * *

sorry if you hate cliffhangers. i do 2 so i guess i'm being a hypocrite. oh well. and who could it be? find out next chap! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3  
Rated G**

"Misty?" asked May in surprise as a redhead about four or five years older than her ran towards her, holding a Marill in her arms. She wore a yellow vest and shorts over a red shirt with matching yellow tennis shoes.

"Hey, May. It's been a while, huh?" greeted Misty. Marill, the blue mouse in her arms, greeted May as well.

"Yeah, I know. But, what are you doing here?" asked May.

"Well, Tracey called the other day to check up on my Marill and before Daisy hogged the phone, he managed to tell me you were going to be in Vermillion City today," she explained. "And since Cerulean City is pretty close, I thought I'd stop by for a visit. It must be lonely traveling by yourself for once, huh?"

"Yeah," she responded. "I didn't think I would be really lonely since I had my Pokémon with me, but it's not the same to have someone to talk to."

Misty nodded her knowingly. "I know what you mean. Before I met Ash, I was all alone. I ran away from home because I wasn't getting along with my sisters. After he 'borrowed' my bike, I followed told him I wouldn't leave him until he got me a new one. But that was just an excuse!"

"Really? Wow, I hope I can meet great friends on my journey too!" she said excitedly. "So, you met Ash when he stole your bike. Strange, I met him when his Pikachu fried my bike to a crisp."

"No way! That happened to me too!" exclaimed Misty and she laughed. "Where are you headed now?"

"The Pokémon Center," she answered.

"Oh yeah, to meet the guy for the research," remembered Misty, fixing her side ponytail.

"Where are you going now?" asked May hopefully.

"I did come all this way to see you, so I'm going with you, of course," she responded with a smile.

"Really? Thanks a lot!"

"You're welcome. That's what friends are for."

* * *

"So, you're heading to Saffron after this, right?" asked Misty as the two girls made their way to the Pokémon Center.

"Yeah, and from their I'm going to take the train to Goldenrod," confirmed May.

"Sounds like fun. I heard it only takes about an hour to get there," recalled Misty thoughtfully. "Do you know how to get to Saffron from here?"

"Don't you take Route 06 or something?" asked May, trying to remember.

"Yeah, and once you enter Saffron, you have to go west and then all the north. The train station should be there, if I remember correctly. I'll take you there if you want."

"Oh, thanks," said May gratefully as they entered the Pokémon Center and waited in the lobby.

"Excuse ladies, are one of you named 'May'?" asked a man, in his late twenties. He was wearing a blue polo and khaki pants under a white lab coat. The man had black curly hair and a goatee to match. His glasses reflected the light inside the Pokémon Center.

"My name is May," answered May, raising her hand meekly. "And this is my friend, Misty," said May, introducing the redhead. "Are you Professor Oak's colleague?"

"Yes, I'm Professor Durian. I assume you know why I am here," introduced Professor Durian, adjusting his spectacles on his nose.

"Yes, he wanted me to take the files for Professor Elm," answered May. "So…where are they?"

The professor chuckled lightly as May looked around. She expected to see a portfolio or folder full of papers.

"It's right here," said Professor Durian, taking out a CD case from his lab coat pocket.

"Oh," said May dumbly, taking the case. She noticed that the cover was painted to look like the front view of a Poké ball. "That's clever," she murmured to herself as she put it in a special pocket of her yellow fanny pack. "Don't worry, I'll keep it safe."

"I bet you will, since Professor Oak trusts you. Well, I have to go now. Cinnabar Island is waiting for me!" he said cheerfully.

"Cinnabar Island?" asked Misty curiously.

"Yes, I guess I forgot to mention what I specialize in. I study ancient Pokémon and Pokémon fossils. I received a phone call from a friend who told me new fossils have been found and they cannot identify what they are. This could be a great discovery," he explained excitedly.

"Wow, that sounds interesting. Good luck," said May, putting her hand in a thumbs-up sign.

"Thank you, May. I wish you luck on your journey as well. And good luck to you as well, Misty. I'm off," finished Professor Durian. "Until next time."

"Bye, Professor!" called the girls as he walked out of the center.

"So, what do you want to do now?" asked Misty.

"Um…" pondered May. "I'm going to ask Nurse Joy to give my Pokémon a check up, just to be safe. Oh, and I have to call my mom!"

"Yeah, I should call my sisters, too. Who knows what they might be doing right now without me," replied Misty cockily. "Well, you go talk to Nurse Joy and I'll call my sisters and then you can call your mom, okay?"

"Okay, see you in a few," agreed May, walking towards the counter where the orange haired nurse was. Her nurse hat had a red plus sign and her orange bangs stuck out the front while her pigtailed loops sprung out from the top.

"Hello, how may I help you," asked Nurse Joy warmly.

"I was wondering if you could give my Pokémon a quick check up," replied May, handing her four Poké balls to her. "My name's May, by the way."

She smiled and took the Poké balls from May. " I should be done in about fifteen. Please wait in the lobby and I'll call you when your Pokémon are done," she told her.

"Okay, thanks Nurse Joy," said May gratefully.

"It's no problem," she smiled, going into the backroom to check on May's Pokémon. Her light pink dress swished behind her, the bow to her white apron bouncing. May walked back towards the lobby, where Misty was talking to her dark-pink haired sister.

"Lily, where's Violet? Shopping? She better not waste too much money. And Daisy? What! What happened to Dewgong? Oh no! It better be okay or it's your heads! Yeah, you better go check on it! Tell Daisy and Violet I said 'Hi' and make sure Dewgong's okay. Do you really need me there? Okay, I should be there by tomorrow. All right, bye," sighed Misty as she hung up with her sister.  
"I'm done with Nurse Joy. She'll be a few minutes. Are you done?" asked May. When she saw Misty's exhausted face, she said, "I'll take that as a yes. I'm going to call my mom, okay?"

"Okay, I'm gonna sit down," suggested Misty, sitting down on a lounge chair.

May stifled a giggle as she dialed her home number.

"May! How are you? Did you catch any new Pokémon yet?" Max, May's little brother, asked as soon as he saw her face on the screen.

"No, I didn't yet. But I met up with Misty," she answered.

"Really? I wonder how her Pokémon are," he pondered aloud, recalling her strong water Pokémon.

"I haven't seen them yet. Anyways, let me talk to Mom," ordered May.

"Okay," he said reluctantly. "MOM! IT'S MAY!"

"May?" May heard her mother asked and in less than a second, Caroline zipped in front of the screen. "May! How are you, dear?"

"I'm fine, Mom."

"That's good. Have you met any friends?"

"Yeah, today I met Misty when I got off the ship," answered May.

"Misty? Isn't she the redhead Ash is going out with?" asked Caroline.

Misty heard this and exclaimed with a red face, "What? I'm not his girlfriend!"

Caroline giggled and introduced herself. "So, it is you. I'm Caroline, May's mother."

"I-I'm Misty," she stammered, still blushing.

"Anyways, dear, have you finished your business in Vermillion?"

"Yeah. Professor Durian gave me the research so I'm going to head for Saffron in a few minutes."

"Then I guess you better get going," concluded Caroline sadly. "Be careful."

"I will, Mom. Hey, where's Dad?"

"A kid came to challenge him. Poor child doesn't stand a chance. I'm going to cook him a nice home-cooked meal anyways."

May smiled. Her mother was such a good person. "That's good. Tell Dad and Max I send them lots of love!"

"I will, dear. Call me when you arrive in Goldenrod. Take care now!"

"I'll call you. Bye, Mom." May hung up the phone and picked up her backpack that she had dropped on the floor while using the phone.

"Well, we better get going if we want to get to our destinations by tomorrow."

"May! You're Pokémon are perfectly healthy now," called Nurse Joy from the counter. A round pink Pokémon with an egg in a pouch carried a tray with four red and white balls on top.

"Chansey, Chansey!" it said, holding up the tray to May.

May took her Poké balls and put them inside her fanny pack. "Thanks Chansey, Nurse Joy."

Nurse Joy smiled and waved as May and Misty walked out of the Pokémon Center.

"It's this way," said Misty, pointing to north.

"All right, then let's go," cried May enthusiastically, holding a confident fist in the air.

* * *

After an hour hike through Route 06 and Memory Lane, the girls finally made it to Saffron City.

"Wow, it's bigger than I remember," said May amazed.

"Yup, that's Saffron. We better find the train station so you can get to Goldenrod by tonight," suggested Misty.

"Yeah, you're right. Plus, I have to train my Eevee."

"That's right, you have an Eevee. Have you decided what Pokémon you want it to evolve into?" asked Misty as she and May walked down the busy streets of Saffron to the train station.

"Anything is good for me, as long as it's healthy and strong," said May. "What would you evolve an Eevee into if you had one?" Then May realized that was a stupid question but didn't care.

"A Vaporeon!" exclaimed Misty, holding a hand to her cheek, her other hand supporting Marill.

"Hee, I should have expected that," answered May, sweat-dropping.

"Yeah, well what do you expect from a water Pokémon lover?" asked Misty. "Hey, we're here."

"Oh," said May, sad to end their conversation and sad Misty had to leave her. "I guess this is good-bye."

"May, May, May," chided Misty, wagging her index finger back and forth. "Don't you know that good friends like us can never say good-bye. It's see ya later!"

May thought about it and realized Misty was right. "Right! See ya later, then!"

"Of course! Now you're getting it. Later, May. Knock 'em dead in those contests!" cheered Misty as she gave May a hug.

"I will! Show the world who the best water trainer is!" encouraged May, letting go from the hug.

"I thought I was already doing that," joked Misty. "Go catch your train, May!"

"Okay. Goo-, I mean, see ya later!" May corrected herself as Misty was walking away.

"See ya later, May!" called back Misty, walking north towards Cerulean City.

May made her way inside the train station and purchased her train ticket. She had luckily made it in time as the train she was riding was leaving in five minutes and was the last train to Goldenrod that day. May sat on her cushioned train seat. She felt the train start to move and with that, the view out of the window. For one hour, May watched in awe the different landscapes she passed from Kanto to Johto.

"Passengers, we will be arriving in the Goldenrod train station in five minutes," announced the conductor.

_Yes! Five minutes until I'm in Goldenrod. It seems like I've been waiting for this moment forever. _

Like the conductor said, in five minutes, they arrived in Goldenrod City. Luckily for May, her seat was right by the door and was one of the few who got out first. She ran out of the station, despite the scolding the adults yelled at her.

When she reached the outside, she took in a big whiff of air, smelling the city life of Goldenrod. After a two-day adventure, she had finally arrived.

_Where should I go first? I can register when I come back. I think I'm going to go to New Bark Town first. May pulled out her guidebook, which contained a full map of the Johto region. First, I have to go through Route 34 and through the Ilex Forest. From there, I head to Azalea Town, then Violet City, Cherrygrove City and finally New Bark Town! Better head to Route 34 before the sunsets!_

May ran non-stop south to Route 34. She stopped when she felt like she was going to collapse. May panted hard, being tired from running. She had never run that fast. Maybe she needed to walk for a while.

As she started to walk towards through Route 34, a voice called to her, "Hey you!"

May turned around and saw a boy around fifteen with long red hair standing a few feet away from her. "Yes?"

"Are you a trainer?"

"Yeah, what's it to you?" May didn't like the presence she felt from that guy.

"Let's battle, then."

May was about to refuse but remembered that Eevee needed training. "Okay, I except your challenge. One-on-one?"

"Fine by me," said the redhead confidently.

"Okay, Go Eevee!" called May as she threw Eevee's Poké ball in the air. The brown dog-like creature landed gracefully and prepared for battle.

"Go Rhydon!" shouted the trainer, releasing a rhino-like Pokémon.

"A Rhydon! Eevee better be careful," May said to herself. "Eevee, use Dig," she called Eevee, remembering they had to work on it and that rock Pokémon like Rhydon were weak against ground attacks.

Eevee quickly dug a hole and began to tunnel it's way to the big Rhydon.

The redhead smirked as he called out to Rhydon, "Use Earthquake!"

May gasped. "Eevee, get out of there!" she ordered but it was too late. A powerful earthquake shook the ground and May felt it.

"Vee!" May heard it cry in despair.

"Eevee!" May cried, running to where there was a crack on the ground, tears running down her face.

"Rhydon, return," said the boy, returning his Pokémon to his Poké ball. He walked towards the Ilex Forest, but not before saying, "If you're lucky, it's not dead."

"Eevee! Answer me!" pleaded May, digging around. After a few minutes, May finally found Eevee. One could tell that it was badly injured. It's fur was rough and dirty, cuts here and there. "Eevee!" she cried, holding it to her chest. Eevee was luckily still alive.

May ran as fast as she could back towards Goldenrod City, where the sun was beginning to set. She entered the city and tried to remember her way to the Pokémon Center, tears still running down her face. May turned a sharp corner and bumped into someone, resulting her in falling down, not letting go of Eevee for a minute.

"I'm sorry! I wasn't watching where I was-" May started apologizing until she saw who she had bumped into. "going…"

* * *

sorry to leave you with another cliffhanger (**u:** ur so evil, **me:** heeheehee!) who could it be this time? and professor durian, he's just some random professor. i decided to follow the tree name tradition! and misty! yeah, i decided to include her since may's going to be in johto alot. and the redhead dude? you ever play pkmn gold/silver/crystal? he's the rival. decided to make a little allusion there. guess who the voice is? 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4  
Rated PG**

"Well, if it isn't May," said Drew, flicking his green hair. "You should really watch where you're going." He was about to make another smart comment but then he saw her eyes were red and puffy and tears were running down her face. _She's crying?_ His green eyes filled with concern as he saw what she was holding onto. Her Eevee had been in a hell of a battle, he could tell. "May, what happened?" he asked worriedly, kneeling down to help her up.

May sat there for a moment, her tear streaked face surprised she had bumped into Drew in her condition. Then she couldn't hold it in anymore and she hugged him with one arm, still holding on to Eevee in the other, and cried. Drew was a little taken back and patted her back awkwardly.

"Drew…it's…all…my fault!" she managed to spit out, still crying into his shoulder.

Drew didn't know exactly what happened but he knew her well enough to know she would never allow that to happen to her Pokémon. "No it's not," he comforted. "C'mon, get up. We have to get to the Pokémon Center."

May nodded as Drew helped her up. He grabbed her hand and directed May towards the Pokémon Center. If May hadn't been in the situation she was in, she would've blushed but there was no time for that. Once they reached the center, she let go of his hand.

"Nurse Joy! Please help my Eevee!" pleaded May when she ran inside.

"Oh dear!" gasped Nurse Joy, taking Eevee from May. She noticed May was crying and reassured her by saying, "Don't worry. It'll be all right."

May nodded and walked into the lobby where she had left Drew. He was sitting down on a cushioned chair; trying not to draw attention to himself from fear his fans might recognize him. As May walked closer, he noticed she had stopped crying but was still depressed and quiet. She sat next to him, not saying a word, only leaning her head on his shoulder. He was taller than she remembered. Drew smiled a bit and rested his head lightly on her head.

After a few minutes of silence, May moved used her peripheral vision to notice that Drew's purple short sleeve jacket had a wet stain on his shoulder. _That must be where I cried…_May spoke up at last, "I'm sorry."

Though her voice was like a whisper, he was startled a bit as it had been silent for the past few minutes. "For what?" he asked softly.

Moving only her arm, she pointed to his shoulder. "That."

"It's okay, it'll dry," he reassured, not moving his head from hers.

"I'm still sorry."

Drew was a little worried. May wasn't always quiet like that. And since when did May apologize to him for a small reason.

Nurse Joy walked up to May and Drew slowly. As soon as May saw her, she sat up straight, removing her head from Drew's shoulder. As a result, Drew hit the back of his head on his wall but no one noticed.

"How's my Eevee?" asked May worriedly.

Nurse Joy smiled and said, "Eevee's going to be just fine. It just needs a good night's sleep. I'd like to keep it here overnight, just to be safe."

May nodded and asked, "Do you have any empty rooms left?"

"Just one. But it's only has one bed," she said, looking at Drew.

"It's okay, I can sleep on the floor," replied Drew, shrugging.

May turned to him, "You don't have to stay with me. I'm fine now." She put a fake smile on her face.

"It's okay, it really is," he told her, seeing right through her false smile.

"Thank you," she said, looking down shyly.

Nurse Joy smiled and showed them to the room. When May saw the room, she noticed it was pretty similar to the one on the S. Lapras. One bed, one nightstand, and one window. Nurse Joy left May and Drew alone and went to go check on Eevee.

"Like I said earlier, you don't have to stay with me," she spoke up again. As much as she didn't want to be alone, she didn't want it to be because of pity. May smiled falsely again, trying to convince him.

"May, you can fool most people, but I'm not most people," he told her sternly, looking her in the eye. May looked down in shame. She found it strange that he knew her better than she knew herself. "And I'm hurt you don't want me here," he said in a ridiculous falsetto voice, holding his hand to his chest, trying to make her laugh.

At first, she tried to hold it in, but after a few seconds, she burst out laughing, bringing back the color on her face, the sparkle in her eyes and everything else that made May May. "Thank you, Drew," she said at last. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Instead of smirking, he blushed a bit and said bashfully, "It was nothing."

"No it wasn't and you know it," she said softly.

Before he could deny it again, she gave him a small kiss on his cheek. May pulled away quickly and retreated into her bed covers, leaving Drew with a really red face. He was used to fans pulling crazy stunts, but May wasn't a fan, she was a rival. Or was she something more…

* * *

The next morning, May awoke to a familiar scent. She looked by her nightstand and saw a red, freshly cut rose along with a note. She read out loud:

"Good morning, sleepyhead,

Anyways, hurry up and dressed and meet me outside the Pokémon Center at 11:30 or else. And by the way, your Eevee's feeling better. I picked it up for you so if you ever want to see it, you better come.

Yours truly,  
Drew

P.S.  
I know this is going to be hard for you, but don't eat."

May scoffed at the last line but then smiled again. She was feeling a lot better thanks to Drew. Then May glanced at the clock, remembering to meet him at 11:30 and then gasped. "It's 11:20! Drew's going to be so mad at me if I stand him up!"

With that thought on her mind, she quickly changed out of her "pajamas" and into her usual clothes. Sometime after Drew was sleeping soundly, she had changed into her sleeping wear, being careful she wouldn't wake him. Then May brushed her hair, tied on her red bandana and fasted her shoes. By the time she ran out of the room, it was 11:30 on the dot. After she muttered a quick hello and thanks to Nurse Joy, she ran out of the center.

When she reached the outside she, she put her hands on her knees and panted. May wasn't used to changing so quickly. May's thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. She gasped and jumped around to see who if was. She saw a green haired boy chuckling, wearing a short sleeve purple jacket, teal pants and a black long sleeve shirt and shoes.

"Drew!" she scolded, blushing he caught her off guard…again! "So, what do you want?" she asked, regaining composure. Unfortunately for her, her stomach grumbled hungrily, causing Drew to laugh again.

"More like what do you want!" he joked. May looked at him a little puzzled, surprised to see him laughing like an innocent child. Then she remembered his comment and scowled.

"What? You told me not to eat. Speaking of which, hand over my Eevee!" she commanded, holding out her hand.

Instead of handing over her Poké ball, he put his hand on hers and she blushed. She gave him a "what the hell do you think you're doing" look.

"I'll hand over Eevee, after brunch," he said, still holding her hand.

"Brunch?" she repeated, confused. _Oh…no wonder he told me not to eat. _"Okay," she said, trying to make it sound like she dreaded the thought, though not doing a good job of it.

Drew, however, noticed and took her away to a small restaurant near by.

As they walked, Drew's fangirls shot May hate looks and she sweat-dropped. They must have thought she snagged him since he was still holding her hand. She blushed a bit, remembering her little kiss to him the previous night. May didn't know why she did it; it just came over her. She always acted on impulse.

_Why is he holding my hand? Why am I holding his hand? Why am I blushing? Why is he taking me? I'm already better. Thanks to him…Do I…_

May shook her head, trying to get that thought out of her head. Drew shot her a confused look and she laughed weakly and explained, "I thought there was something in my hair."

He raised his eyebrow and shrugged. "We're here." Drew let go of her hand, leaving her slightly disappointed.

"Oh, wow!" exclaimed May, looking at the restaurant. It was a cute restaurant, the patio filled with tables under umbrellas, surrounded by a small flower garden. Inside was similar, with the exception of the umbrellas. The flowers were kept in vases and pots instead of a garden. "It's so cute."

Drew silently agreed and pulled out a chair for her. "Are you going to sit or not?"

"Geez, aren't you a gentleman," complimented May sarcastically as she sat down and he pushed her chair closer to the table.

"Of course," he retorted. "What do you take me for?"

"An arrogant, self-centered jerk," she muttered, making sure he heard it.

"I heard that," he said.

"And what are you going to do about it?" she asked, sticking out her tongue at him.

Drew sighed in defeat as the waitress came to take their order. After the waitress left, Drew tried to start a conversation. "So…"

"So…" she repeated, not knowing what to say.

"What you've been up to?"

"Nothing much."

"What happened to Eevee?" he blurted out and mentally hit himself in the head for being so sudden.

May looked down, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to ask so suddenly. Curiosity kills the cat, huh?"

"No, it's okay," she answered, looking back up at him. Drew saw that her blue eyes were a little teary. "Well, before I left for Vermillion, I received a call from Professor Oak. He asked me take some important research to Professor Elm in New Bark Town. When I arrived, I met up with the guy that was taking care of the research and took it from him. Then I went to Saffron and then I arrived here, taking the train. I was going down Route 34 so I could go to Azalea Town, Violet, Cherrygrove and then New Bark Town. Then this trainer asked me if I wanted to battle. I thought Eevee needed a bit of training so I chose it. He let out his Rhydon. I thought that since it was a rock Pokémon, I could defeat it with Dig, but it used Earthquake."

"Oh," he said understandingly.

She nodded and didn't say a word until the waitress came back with their food. May had lost her appetite as she thought about yesterday's happenings so she just picked at her food.

"Excuse me, Drew?" asked the waitress nervously. The girl had brown hair with blonde highlights tied up in a ponytail. She wore her black and white waitress uniform, her brown eyes looking eagerly at Drew.

"I hate to interrupt you during your outing with your girlfriend," she started but was interrupted by an embarrassed cough by May. "but may I have your autograph?"

Drew gladly gave her an autograph since she asked nicely, unlike other girls who just shoved a paper and pen in his face.

She smiled happily and thanked him as she went back to work.

"That was nice of you," said May suddenly.

"Seems like a nice girl. Glad she's not a psycho stalker unlike my other fans."

May giggled and started to eat her food in silence as did he.

"May?" he asked once he was finished.

"Yeah?" she asked back, not done with her brunch.

"You said you were going to go through Route 34 to go to New Bark Town, right?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You do know you can take another route to make it to New Bark Town, right?"

May looked up in surprise. "There is? Where?"

"Well," he started taking out a map of Johto, "First, you go to the National Park, north of Goldenrod, then east to Violet City, Route 30 to Cherrygrove and I think you know the rest from there."

"Wow, that does seem shorter," she said. "Um, Drew?"

"Sure, I'll go with you. I have nothing better to do."

"How did you know I was going to ask you?"

"Because you're easy to predict. And besides, knowing you, you'd probably get lost," he taunted. Drew expected May to have a comeback but instead he noticed tears were falling on her lap. "What are you crying for?" he asked, surprised.

May looked up at him and smiled. She said, "Because you have no idea how happy I am to finally have found a friend."

* * *

aww! that was so cute. finally drew!!!! i decided to make it really shippy, just for you!!! what will happen next? not even i know (i have to plan it out!) i should update by tomorrow. lotsa love, ellie-chan!


	5. Chapter 5

_"Because you have no idea how happy I am to finally have found a friend." Are we friends?_ Drew pondered the meaning of May's words after they left the restaurant. May had offered to pay but Drew refused. After they left, they walked back to the Pokémon Center to gather May's belongings and start their journey towards New Bark Town. Actually, Drew walked while May was practically skipping there. She must've been really lonely to be this happy.

"Drew!" yelled May for the thousandth time.

"What? Did you say something?" asked Drew, snapping out of his thoughts.

"I've been trying to get your attention for the past few minutes. Were you in La La Land or something?" asked May sarcastically.

"No, I prefer not to go places you would go to," he retorted.

May stuck her tongue out at him and said, "I was trying to ask you if you had any ribbons yet?"

"Ribbons? Oh yeah, I have two," he answered proudly.

"Two?" asked May, surprised. "I guess I have a lot of catching up to do."

"Could be worse," said Drew optimistically.

"I suppose you're right," she agreed.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he asked cockily.

"Ugh, you're so full of yourself," she complained as they arrived at the entrance of the Pokémon Center. "Wait here. I'm gonna go get my stuff, okay?"

"No one's stopping you."

May glared at him and walked inside. She walked to her room and grabbed her things, throwing most of them inside her black backpack. Checking one last time that she wasn't missing anything, she locked the room and went to look for Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy," called May when she found her.

"Hello May. Are you leaving already?" she asked, noticing May had all her things with her.

"Yeah. I have to go to New Bark Town," explained May.

"That's nice. Good luck! Oh, did you get your Eevee back? That green haired boy picked it up for you."

"He didn't give it to me yet," said May, surprised. She had been so excited about her newest traveling companion she had forgotten to get Eevee. When May saw Nurse Joy was worried, she added, "Don't worry. He's my friend. Drew probably forgot to give it to me."

"That's good. Well I don't want to hold you up any longer," concluded Nurse Joy, taking the key from May.

"Thanks. I'll be back in time for the contest," assured May.

"I look forward to seeing you again," said Nurse Joy, smiling warmly.

"Okay, bye!"

"Bye, and be careful."

"I will," said May as she walked towards the lobby. She had forgotten about Eevee. "I'm such a bad trainer," sighed May.

"Why," asked Drew from behind?

"Drew! What are you doing here," asked May, putting her hand to her heart in surprise. It was beating really hard. But was it because she was startled or because he was with her?

"You were taking to long," he explained. "So, why are you a bad trainer?"

"Because I completely forgot about Eevee!"

Drew chuckled and said, "It's about time you noticed." He gave her Eevee's Poké ball, who happily took it.

As their fingers brushed in the exchange, she blushed a bit, but made for it when she called out Eevee.

The brown Pokémon happily came out, jumping around as if it had ever been hurt.

"Eevee!" exclaimed May happily as Eevee jumped into her arms. She hugged it and said, "I'm sorry, Eevee."

Eevee rubbed it's head to her chest, telling her it was all right. May let the Pokémon run around a bit. It stopped on the phones, calling for May.

"Oh no! I forgot to call home!" cried May in horror. "Excuse me a sec, Drew."

She ran towards the phone and dialed her home number while Drew took a seat in the lobby.

"May! Why didn't you call," scolded Caroline over the phone. "I was worried something happened!"

"Something did happen, Mom. Eevee got hurt really bad," said May sadly.

"Oh, no. Is it okay?" asked Caroline worriedly.

"It's okay now, Mom," assured May as she picked up Eevee and put it by the screen. "See!"

"That's good," said Caroline after seeing Eevee was healthy. "So, you're in Goldenrod City now, right?"

"Yup!"

"Have you met any friends?" asked Caroline. She didn't want May to be alone throughout her entire journey through Johto.

"Yeah, I did. In fact, he helped me when Eevee was hurt," said May.

"He?" asked Caroline slyly.

"Mom! It's not like that!" exclaimed May blushing. "It's just Drew!"

"Drew? That sounds familiar. Isn't he the boy with the green hair?"

"Yeah," answered May. "He's even going with me to New Bark Town."

"Aw, May has a boyfriend!" said Caroline excitedly causing May to blush even more.

"Mom, relax. It's just May's rival."

"Max?" asked May, recognizing her brother's voice.

"That's my name, don't wear it out," he joked, answering May's question. "So, I overheard you said Eevee got hurt. That's too bad. You should be careful. It's tough out there in Johto."

"Gee, I hadn't noticed," said May sarcastically. "But thanks anyway."

"May, hurry up, will you? The sun's going to set soon and if you want to make it back in time for the contest, we should leave now," called Drew, walking towards May.

"Ah, yes. Just how I remembered him," said Caroline, who got back on the phone. "Hi. We never officially met. I'm Caroline."

"Um, hi," he said uncertainly. "I'm Drew."

"I know. I saw you during the Grand Festival." Caroline whispered to May, "Cute. And he's so polite, good catch, May."

Unfortunately, it wasn't exactly discreet and everyone heard it. May smacked her forehead in embarrassment.

"Well, um, I have to go now, Mom. Bye. Tell Dad I said 'Hi.' And I'll talk to you later, Max. Bye!" May managed to say.

"Bye, sweetie. And Drew?"

"Yes?" he asked nervously, not knowing what other embarrassing comment she would make.

"Take care of my daughter!"

"Um, okay?"

"Bye!"

"Bye," said May and Drew at the same time. They heard Caroline saw "aw" as she hung up the phone.

"Your mom is um…outgoing," commented Drew.

"Tell me something I don't know," she said dryly. "Don't you want to call your parents?"

"No," he answered quickly. "I mean, no. They're um, busy."

"Okay," said May, not pushing the subject any further. "So, you were yelling at me that we better get going?"

"Yeah, let's go." Drew started walking, not waiting for May.

"Hey, wait for me!" called May, running after him.

* * *

"I wish we had time to shop," complained May as she and Drew walked north towards the National Park.

"There's going to be time after we get back," said Drew.

"Okay," she sighed, as they continued to walk through Route 35.

After fifteen minutes, May broke the silence by asking, "Have you caught any new Pokémon?"

"Nope," he said bluntly.

"Oh," replied May, disappointed.

"I mean, I haven't seen any that have caught my interest," he elaborated, noticing her disappointment. "You still have the same ones, right?"

"Yeah. I bought Eevee, Blaziken, Munchlax and Squirtle with me!" she said, glad they were getting into the conversation.

"Only four?" he asked.

"Why not? Don't you have four?" she retorted.

"You remembered? I'm flattered," said Drew, smiling crookedly.

"You're so conceited!" she exclaimed while Drew laughed.

"I don't think we're going to make it to the National Park in time," commented Drew, noticing the sun setting off the horizon.

"Yeah," agreed May. "We should set up camp."

Drew scoffed in disgust, being used to the luxury of hotels, and nodded his head in agreement. They soon found the perfect spot on a field of soft grass with a small creek nearby.

He pulled out a package from his knapsack and pulled out poles and fabric. Drew used them to make a small tent and put his green sleeping bag inside the tent.

"You're lucky! You get a tent," complained May, who only had her red sleeping bag.

"Why didn't you bring one," he asked, gathering firewood that was around the site.

"Because it was too much luggage for me," she replied truthfully, removing grass so they could make a fire without burning anything down.

"Sucks for you," Drew commented.

"Great friend you are," she retorted.

Drew stopped looking for firewood to look at her. A "friend" she said he was. He asked, "May, you keep saying we're friends. What exactly are friends to you?"

May was a little taken back by his question. She had always assumed they were friends, even though their meeting wasn't exactly a good beginning. May believed that even rivals could be friends. She responded, "Well, to me, friends are people you can count on. People who believe in you, people who are there for you, someone you care about and they care about you…" Then May asked hesitantly, "We are friends, right?"

Drew pondered about her definition of friends. _"Some you care about and they care about you." So, she does care about me. But do I care about her?_


	6. Chapter 6

"I guess," Drew responded to May's question.

Though it was more of a yes/no question, May was delighted nonetheless by the fact he accepted their friendship.

"Ya know, I'm really glad I ran into you back there," said May.

"You are?" asked Drew curiously, wondering where she was getting at.

"Yeah, 'cause I wouldn't have found you," she answered. "I've never been on my own for so long, even though it was for just a couple of days. And although Misty was with me for a couple of hours, a part of me was still alone…until I met you."

May blushed a bit, realizing the seriousness of her answer. Drew blushed as well. "Um, but don't take it the wrong way!" exclaimed May quickly.

"Pshh, of course not," lied Drew.

They stayed there in silence as the sun was beginning to sink lower and moon rose higher. "I'm going to get more wood, just in case," said Drew, interrupting the awkward silence.

May nodded and asked, "Hey, do you have any food?"

"Um, yeah. I think there's some in my backpack," he replied, putting a stack of twigs and branches by the fire.

May rummaged through his backpack. She found a few bags of chips and bottles of water. But that wasn't the only thing she found.

"Hey Drew! Have you been holding out on me?"

"What are you talking about?" he questioned, looking back at May.

"This," answered May, holding up a package. It was a portable shower kit.

"Oh, what about it?" asked Drew, even though he already knew the answer.

"Are you dumb or blind or something?" taunted May. "I want you to set it up for me!"

"Why can't you?" he complained.

"'Cause I said so! Please!" she pleaded, putting on a puppy-dog-face.

"Fine," sighed Drew in defeat. He set it up quickly, knowing what he was doing.

"That was fast," commented May when Drew was done. It was like a tent, only taller and thinner to fit someone inside. There was a small showerhead connected to a source of water.

"Yeah, well I'm prepared for anything," he replied proudly. "Funny how you can be hungry one minute and want to take a shower the next.

May ignored him and said loudly, "Leave!"

"What?" asked Drew, confused.

"Are you some kind of pervert or something? Spying on girls while they take baths!" accused May.

"What? I'm only a few months older than you!" retorted Drew, a little red.

"Ha! You're not denying it!" said May in success.

"What the-! You're twisting what I'm saying! Ugh, I'm gonna get more wood. Holler if you need anything!" he said, annoyed as he walked off and left her alone.

"Bye-bye!" she teased. Making sure he was gone, she went inside and removed her clothes, putting them in a small pile where they wouldn't get wet.

The warm water washed away day's worth of dirt, leaving her fresh and clean. As she was about to shampoo her hair, she heard a rustle in the bushes.

"Drew?" she called hesitantly. "If this is your idea of a joke, it isn't funny." May didn't get a response, only more rustling. "Drew?" she tried again. Again nothing. She wrapped her towel around her and listened carefully, not sure what was about to go down.

* * *

"AAAHHHH!"

"May!" said Drew quickly as he realized whose scream that was. He ran as fast as he could to where the portable shower was.

Before he could react, May ran out of the shower and into his arms, shivering from fright and cold. Drew blushed, even though she had a towel on.

"What's wrong?" he managed to say.

"I heard something in the bushes," she answered, hugging his arm.

Drew was about to say she was hearing things until sure enough, he heard rustling in the bushes as well.

"Maybe it's a monster or something," was May's unreasonable hypothesis.

Drew chuckled silently and ordered to the bushes, "Who or whatever's in there, come out!"

From the bushes, came a pink bulldog Pokémon. "Snubbull!" When it saw the two coordinators, it ran away, thinking they would try to capture it.

"There's your monster, May," he teased while she blushed in embarassment. "It was just a Snubbull."

"Shut up! Why'd you come so fast, huh? You were worried about me!" she taunted.

Drew blushed even more and retorted, "Then why are you hugging me so tight?"

This time, it was her turn to blush. She let go quickly and replied, "You seemed to enjoy it!"

"Ha! Like you didn't?" he shot back.

"You're so conceited!" she complained, avoiding the question. "Get out so I can finish my bath!"

"It's a shower," he mumbled under his breath as he walked out.

May scoffed and walked back in the shower to continue her shower.

* * *

When May came out of the shower, she saw Drew sitting by the fire, reading a guidebook. May blushed when she saw his shirt was off. The fire danced shadows on his slim, built body. Sure, she had seen him with his shirt off before, but he had changed a bit.

"Ya know, that's mine," said May as she sat next to him. She was wearing her black tank top and biker shorts.

"Yeah well, that shower was mine," he replied calmly, flipping to the next page.

"Whatever," she growled, not knowing what else to say. "I don't know why you're showing off if none of your fans are around."

"One is," said Drew smart-alecky. "Besides, my clothes have to dry since **someone **had to be hugging their wet self on my arm."

"Ugh! Do all you care about is yourself?"

"Hmm, maybe," he joked.

"Fine! Two can play that game!" declared May, snatching her guidebook from him and put it in her backpack. "Good night!" she said angrily as she climbed into her sleeping bag. May was getting fed up with Drew's cocky nature.

"Good night, don't let the bed bugs bite!" he chided as he walked into his tent.

"Arrogant, selfish brat," she muttered before she went asleep.

* * *

May awoke later that night when she felt a trickle of water splash on her face. She opened her eyes quickly, assuming it was a prank from Drew. This theory was soon proved wrong when she heard a rumble of thunder.

She felt more raindrops on her and decided to take cover under a tree, as she was still upset with Drew. Unfortunately for her, the trees were a worse place as the wind was starting to pick up, dropping excess water from the leaves and onto May.

"Could today get any worse," May asked out loud, the fire becoming extinguished as the rain fell harder.

"Actually, today is 'tomorrow'," said someone from behind.

"Drew? What are you doing here?" asked May, forgetting she was mad at Drew.

"Nothing much, just couldn't sleep," he answered.

There was another rumble of thunder, followed by a strong flash of lightning. May cringed a bit, startled by the combination.

Drew laughed at her, causing May to glare daggers at him.

"What's so funny?" asked May, already knowing the answer.

"You," he replied, still laughing.

May rolled her eyes and said, "Shouldn't you be getting some sleep? Who knows what your fans will say if they saw you with dark circles under your eyes?"

"Wow, you actually care," he commented sarcastically.

"Just thought I'd show you an example of what being a true friend is about."

Drew stopped again and thought about it. Although she was joking, he followed her example when he said, "Then let's go to sleep. Off to bed."

"Um, my bed is soaked under the rain!"

"Mine isn't."

"Yeah, yeah. Quit bragging."

"Man, are you dense or something?" asked Drew. "I'm being nice enough to let you sleep in my tent."

"Drew being nice? I never thought I'd see the day." Then she thought about the second part of his statement and said unsurely, "I dunno. There might not be room."

"C'mon, it's not like you're fat or anything. And it's waterproof," he encouraged.

"Okay, okay," she said, giving up. Truthfully, she was happy she could actually depend on him.

"All right then. Ladies first," he gestured as they walked towards the tent.

"Thanks I guess," said May, getting inside the warm, sheltered tent. "Where am I going to sleep?"

"Right there," answered Drew, pointing to his sleeping bag.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Do you need an explanation for everything? I'm being nice. Unless you want me to start acting like a smart-ass again."

"Okay, I won't complain anymore," said May as she climbed into his sleeping bag. He lied down beside her, as it wasn't a very big tent. "Hey Drew?"

"Yeah?"

"You really are a true friend," she said, looking at him in the eye.

Drew was glad it was dark so she couldn't see his crimson red face. "Quit talking and go to sleep."

"Okay. Good night, Drew."

"Good night, May."


	7. Chapter 7

When May opened her sapphire eyes the next morning, her face immediately turned as red as a cherry. Her face was very close to Drew's. Very close. Since it was very early for her, she freaked out and jumped back. Unfortunately, it was a pretty small tent and when she jumped, it caused the tent to collapse.

"What the hell is your problem?" asked Drew, a little irritated that his sleep had been interrupted. He climbed under the remnants of his tent and into the wet grass.

"I…I…I thought I saw a bug or something," said May quickly as she also reached the outside of the fallen tent. Sure, it was a lie but it was better than telling him the real reason and getting teased about it later.

"I thought you weren't afraid of bugs," he taunted. Drew was just asking for a challenge.

"Well sorry if it's early and I was startled!" she retorted. Then May added, "And I'm not scared of bugs!"

"Whatever," he said, ending the early morning argument. May stuck out her tongue and began to pack up. They put the tent and shower back in their respective packages and rolled up their sleeping bags. However, May's sleeping bag was still drenched with water after the downpour of last night.

"Just great," she muttered sarcastically as she saw the red sleeping bag's condition. Then she had a brilliant idea. "Go Blaziken!"

"Blaze," cried the fire chicken as it came out. It stretched out in the bright rays of the sun and waited for it's trainer's command.

"Use Fire Spin to dry my sleeping bag!" ordered May. "Just don't burn it!"

At her word, Blaziken unleashed trail of fire and controlled it around the sleeping bag.

"Good job Blaziken," praised May as she picked up the now dry sleeping bag. She packed it up and put it in her backpack. Then she decided to call out all her Pokémon. "Come on out everyone!"

Her remaining three Pokémon, Eevee, Munchlax and Squirtle, came out happily and played together in the morning dew.

"Hey Drew, aren't you going to let out your Pokémon too?" asked May, wanting to see how his Pokémon have grown.

"Hmph, why not?" he said to himself as he threw four Poké balls in the air.

May noticed Drew called out five Pokémon and asked, "Whatever happened to your Butterfree?

"I released it so it could go mate."

"That's nice," said May remembering when Ash told her he let his Butterfree go, the first Pokémon he ever caught and evolved.

First came out his most trusted Pokémon, a green female plant Pokémon with red and blue roses on its arms. "Roselia!"

Second came out a water bug Pokémon that was similar looking to moth. "Masquerain!"

Next was a green and red dragon with bug characteristics. "Flygon!"

Finally came a white, mammal creature, similar to dog. It had a dark blue face, tail and a scythe on its head. "Absol!"

"Wow, they look better than the last time I saw them," complimented May.

"Thanks. So do yours."

"So, what's for breakfast?" asked May hungrily.

"Why are you asking me for? Am I your private cook or something?" asked Drew sarcastically, while feeding his own Pokémon their breakfast.

"Yeah, you are," joked May, feeding her Pokémon as well.

"Fine, then you're going to have to pay me!" he retaliated.

"Ugh! I hate it when you do that!"

"Live with it, unless you want to travel alone to New Bark Town?"

"Drew, just why are you traveling with me?"

"To entertain myself."

"No seriously. I mean I know that you can survive on your own since you traveled through Hoenn alone. Are you traveling with me because you feel sorry for me or something?" asked May worriedly as she returned her Pokémon.

Drew chuckled at May's serious question. After he returned his Pokémon to their Poké balls, he lightly flicked his index finger to her forehead and said, "It's like you said. We're friends. And friends are always there for each other, right?"

May rubbed her forehead and said, "Kinda corny, don't ya think?" Drew blushed a bit at her comment and then May said, "Thanks anyways. That makes me feel better."

"Anytime," he responded, ruffling her hair.

"Hey!" she protested, ruffling his hair in return.

Drew was about to protest when he and May heard a series of large gasps. They turned their heads to see a group of girls from ages ranging eight to sixteen wearing shirts and other accessories with Drew's face plastered on them. The girls had exaggerated horrified looks on their faces, visible from even ten feet away.

"She messed up Drew's hair! Get her!" yelled the leader, pointing at May. At her command, the group of girls ran towards them, ready to teach May a lesson.

"Uh-oh," said May and Drew in unison. They nodded their heads in acknowledgement as they picked up their belongings and ran as fast as they could through Route 35.

Unfortunately for them, May hadn't tied her shoes so she tripped on her shoelaces. She hit the floor with a loud thud.

"May!" exclaimed Drew as he stopped to check up on May.

"Go on without me," she said sarcastically as she got back up. They had to hurry since the fan girls were just a few feet away.

"Stop being so dramatic!" scolded Drew as he grabbed her hand and started running again.

"Sorry," she apologized as she tightened the grip on his hand. They were starting to get farther away from the fan girls, but still in sight.

"Hey, May. You see those bushes over there?" asked Drew as they continued running from the stampede of girls.

"Yeah, what about them?"

"On the count of three, we jump. One, two…"

"What are you crazy?" she protested but was interrupted.

"Three!" shouted Drew as he pushed himself and May into the bushes.

Luckily, the girls didn't see them and continued running.

Meanwhile, back in bushes, May had a soft landing while Drew's wasn't exactly in the comfortable department.

"May…can you get off me now?" asked Drew in a strained voice. He had landed on his stomach while May landed on top of him.

"Whose fault was it that we landed here?" she asked as she got off him and dusted off her red and black attire.

"Whose fault is it that we were being chased?" he retorted as he as well picked himself up.

"Who messed up my hair first?" she asked, already knowing the answer. She fixed her hair and noticed something was missed. "Ahh! Where's my bandana!"

"Right here," answered Drew, handing the red and white bandana to her.

"Thanks!" said May gratefully as she tied it on top her brown hair.

"No prob. Glad they're gone now," sighed Drew in relief.

"Yeah, I don't know how you can live with that every single day."

"You get used to it," he shrugged. "We should get going so we can get to Violet City by nightfall. It's almost noon."

May nodded her head in agreement and suggested, "We better keep a low profile though. No telling what they might do to me."

"Yeah. Let's go."

* * *

After another twenty minutes of traveling, May and Drew finally made it to the National Park.

"Finally!" cheered May. She was getting tired and hungry after the long hike.

"Now it's on to Violet City," said Drew.

"Can't we stop to rest! I'm so tired!" complained May. Drew was about to say no until May added a sweet, "Please!"

"Okay," he sighed.

"Yay!" cheered May like a little kid. "Time for lunch!"

Drew was hungry as well so he didn't object.

"Hey! Are you two trainers?" asked a girl running up to them. She was about thirteen and had long black hair and soft gray eyes.

"Yeah, we're coordinators," answered Drew for him and May.

"Cool! Do you want to sign up for the bug-catching contest tomorrow?" asked the girl eagerly.

"Tomorrow? That sounds like fun but we have to get to Violet City by tonight," said May.

"Oh," replied the girl, obviously disappointed. Then she smiled and said, "The name's Madison by the way."

"I'm May and this is Drew," introduced May.

Madison looked Drew up and down and told May, "He's cute. Is he your boyfriend?"

May and Drew looked at each other and laughed nervously while they hid their blushes.

"It's not like that," May managed to say.

Madison giggled a bit and asked, "So, you're going to Violet City?"

"Yeah, we're heading to New Bark Town and this route is shorter," explained Drew.

"That's cool."

"So why were you asking us if we were going to the bug-catching contest?" asked May curiously.

"My uncle is one of the sponsors for the contest so I was just looking for trainers would be interested," she explained. "Hey, I have an idea! Why don't you join me for lunch? I'm sure you guys must be hungry after all that traveling!"

"Really?" asked May enthusiastically. "I mean, is that okay?"

"Sure! C'mon, my cottage is nearby," assured Madison.

"Thanks," said Drew gratefully as the trio walked towards a wooden cottage

They entered the small cottage near the National Park. The outside of the cottage was a pale yellow with a sky blue roof. The inside had carpeted floors in all rooms except the kitchen, which had wooden floors.

May and Drew sat down on the wooden dining set in the kitchen while Madison was fixing lunch

"So, you guys are coordinators, huh? How many ribbons do you have?" asked Madison as she cut the bread.

"Two," answered Drew.

Assuming he meant both of them, Madison asked, "One each?"

"No, I have two, May has zero," he smirked, even though he knew she had just arrived.

"Oh," answered Madison, not wanting to insult May by complimenting Drew.

"Don't think I suck at coordinating! I just got here two days ago so it's obvious he has more ribbons since he's been here for like a month!" exclaimed May.

"Well good luck to you both. Lunch is served!" said Madison as she put a plate of sandwiches in front of May and Drew. "Sorry I can't make anything better. I'm horrible at cooking."

"But you're good at making sandwiches!" said May enthusiastically after one bite. "They're really tasty."

"Please, you're just saying that to be polite," replied Madison bashfully.

"But they really are good. These have to be some of the best sandwiches I've ever tasted," complimented Drew.

May opened her mouth in shock, but closed it quickly as she still had food in her mouth. "Wow, he must really mean it because he rarely compliments anyone."

"Thanks. You're both too kind," said Madison, beaming in delight.

For an hour, the coordinators told Madison of their adventures through Hoenn, the contests they've been in and the Pokémon they've seen.

"We better get going now," concluded Drew as he drank a glass of water.

"Yeah, thanks for everything Madison," said May warmly.

"It was nothing. Come visit me when you back, okay!" replied Madison as she showed May and Drew to the door.

"We will," they said in unison. Noticing they have a nasty habit of saying things together, they put annoyed expressions of their faces while Madison giggled.

"Be careful, you two. And May?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep your eye on him," whispered Madison.

"Huh?" asked May, confused.

"You'll know what I mean soon," smiled Madison as May and Drew walked into the park, their destination becoming closer.


	8. Chapter 8

"I wish we could stay here a little longer but someone doesn't want to," complained May, stressing on the 'someone' to give Drew a hint.

"If you want to stay here, be my guest. Just don't be complaining to me when I'm in the Grand Festival and you're not," replied Drew, irritated by her constant nagging since they entered the National Park. After leaving Madison's cabin, all May did was complain to Drew that she wanted to hang out around the park longer. He was still cranky from earlier that morning, as he had woken up earlier than he was used, and all the nagging didn't help.

"Drew! C'mon! What's twenty minutes to a month?" asked May, trying to convince him.

Drew was starting to get fed up with her whining voice and said angrily, "NO! We aren't going to New Bark Town just for the hell of it! You were asked to do something as soon as you could! By Professor Oak himself! Most people would kill to do that! And do you take that seriously? No!"

May, a little taken back, replied quietly, "Okay, I'm sorry. You don't have to be so mean about it."

Drew dropped his jaw in disbelief. May was practically saying she didn't deserve to get yelled at. _Ha, you trying listening to your annoying voice for over an hour. _He wanted to say that but decided to keep his trap shut, just to be safe. Instead he kicked a small, gray stone, taking his frustration out on it.

Unfortunately for the both of them, the National Park was home to many bug Pokémon, big and small. And his small rock landed on a big Pokémon.

The green bug Pokémon growled in anger, "Scyther!" Its bladed arms glistened in the afternoon sun.

"Drew?" asked May nervously as the mad Scyther made it's way towards them. She was behind him and was using him as a barrier.

"Yeah?" asked Drew back as he slowly backed up, putting a protective arm in front of May.

"If we die, I just want to let you know I'm sorry for being a brat," she apologized, backing up with Drew.

"Don't joke around. Listen, I have an idea. When I count to three, we run as fast as we can to the entrance of Route 36. If things get really bad, let out Blaziken," explained Drew frantically as they continued to back up. When he saw May nod from the corner of his eye, Drew said slowly and quietly, "One…two…Three!"

At his signal, the two young coordinators ran as fast as they could through the thick National Park as the Scyther ran after them, hoping to get its revenge.

"May…use Blaziken! Scyther's a speed Pokémon so we can't outrun it for long!" ordered Drew as he sprinted.

"Okay, Blaziken, use Flamethrower!" yelled May as she threw the red and white Poké ball, releasing a white light. As the light cleared, it revealed the tall fire chicken. Hearing her call from inside, it let out a stream of fire towards Scyther as soon as it saw it.

Scyther was hit by the Flamethrower but it didn't faint. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, it retreated back into the tall grasses, grumbling its defeat.

May hit the ground tiredly and panted. "You…should…watch…where…you…aim," she scolded in between breaths.

"Thanks…I'll use your advice next time," Drew replied sarcastically, putting pressure on his knees with his hands as he panted as well.

May was too tired to retort so she just took out her water bottle. She opened the water bottle and then groaned loudly. "I didn't refill my water bottle!" she whined.

_Here we go again! More whining! _Drew sighed in annoyance as well as pity. He handed her his water bottle. "Here."

Without a single thank you, May snatched the bottle from Drew's hands and drank it down, as if she had been traveling in a water-deprived desert for days. Drew could have sworn he saw her drink it all down in one gulp. "Thank…you!" she said at last, handing it back at Drew.

This time, it was his time to groan. "May, you couldn't have saved me some?" asked Drew, holding the water bottle upside down to show May that she had drank all the water.

"Oops, I'm sorry, Drew. I didn't notice. I thought you had some more water in backpack."

"I gave them to the Pokémon this morning," he explained with a sigh. "Okay, so today we were chased by fan-girls and then a Scyther. What's next? A Jynx?" he asked sarcastically, combining fan-girls and Pokémon.

"Drew! You're going to jinx us! No pun intended," scolded May. "I guess we bet get to Violet City sooner, huh?"

"Uh huh. So get already. If we're going to reach Violet City by tomorrow, no complaining, no nagging, no whining, no nothing!" said Drew strictly.

"We can't even talk?" asked May sadly.

Drew sighed and said, "As long as you don't complain. I've had enough of that today. And after the experience we just had, I don't want to take any chances."

"Okay!" replied May, happy again.

They continued to walk for a few minutes and outside the National Park and into Route 36.

"Yay! Onto to Violet City?" cheered May, pointing in the direction that Route 36 goes.

"Whoo-hoo!" replied Drew sarcastically. "Start walking or we're going to have to camp out again."

"Okay, okay. I'm going, I'm going."

* * *

A few hours later, the coordinator duo was halfway through Route 36. 

"Drew, I don't think we're going to make it to Violet City by tonight," said May as she saw the bright sun getting ready to set. They had made small talk for the past few hours, nothing too significant but for the past few minutes, there had been silence until May spoke up.

"For once, I think you're right," confirmed Drew. He couldn't resist making fun of her. She knew he was just kidding. Or did she?

"Hey! Stop insulting me all the time!" complained May angrily, waving her arms around.

Drew chuckled and said, "Anyways, we should set up camp, just to be safe. We might as well get as much sleep as we can. Make yourself useful and look for a good camping ground."

"'Make yourself useful and look for a good camping ground,'" she mocked childishly to herself. As requested, she found a fairly comfortable place to camp out. It was covered with loads of dirt, which was useful so they wouldn't burn down anything with the campfire as well as the shelter the trees provided. "Hey, Drew? What's for dinner?"

"Nothing," he replied.

May screeched, "What?! Are you kidding? What do you mean nothing?"

"What I mean is," started Drew calmly, "there's nothing to eat."

"Nothing? You're lying! I know you at least have some chips in there!"

"Won't you want something to drink afterwards? Like maybe some water?" he reasoned.

"But…I'm hungry!" she whined.

Drew shrugged and said, "If someone didn't walk so slow, we would've been in Violet City by now." Finishing his accusation, he flicked his green locks out of his face.

"Ugh, and you're calling me annoying! I'm going to go for a walk!" declared May out of frustration and with that, she walked out.

Drew watched her walk off and sighed. It's not like he wanted her to starve, and he didn't want her to choke to her death either. He started a fire and sat back in a relaxed position, reading the guidebook he had snatched from May when she wasn't paying attention.

* * *

"Stupid good-for-nothing, conceited, self-centered, arrogant Drew," mumbled May as she continued to pace through the path she had taken since she left Drew at the campground ten minutes ago. To make sure she wouldn't get lost, she walked straight ahead, moving if there was an obstacle.

She walked on for a few more minutes until she felt something cold soak through her sneakers. May shuddered and looked down to notice there was a small creek right in front of her. Her previous anger at Drew vanished and was replace with happiness.

"Water!" she exclaimed happily. May opened her backpack and took out her dry water bottle. She filled the water bottle, drank the contents of it and refilled it again. "Drew! I found water!" she called out.

She waited a few minutes for some sort of response but then realized that he was probably too far to hear her. As May prepared to walk back towards the campground, she heard rustling in the bushes. Remembering her previous experience, May took in a deep breath and startled walking.

The surroundings around May were quiet, so quiet that she could hear her own tennis shoes slop through the grass. Then she heard another noise, not rustling in the bushes, more like a breathing sound.

She picked up her pace, hoping that what she was hearing was her imagination. More breathing came from behind and May decided it was best to run. As she got closer to the campground and Drew, the more the breathing went away, but it was still persistent.

Once May was about to reach the final end of the trees, she tripped on a rock and fell flat on her face.

Drew looked up surprised. He saw May on the floor and smiled in amusement before helping her up, followed by his infamous taunting.

"What's wrong, May? You seem kind of down," punned Drew as he held out a hand to help her up.

May reluctantly took his hand and hoisted herself up. Ignoring his taunt, she cheered, "I found a stream!"

"I guess the water musts be bad if you fell down like that. Never mind, you're always like that."

May protested, "It's not bad! I found water. Water! Now we can eat!"

Drew sighed in defeat and told May, "Lead me to the water so I can fill up."

"What's the magic word?" she taunted back.

"Now!" he replied, not taking her bait.

"Aren't you a gentleman?" she commented sarcastically as she led him down the path towards the creek.

May was so busy explaining how she found the creek, leaving out the part about the noises, that she had forgotten that stream itself was pretty small. May felt something push her, causing her to fall in.

She emerged from creek, her brown hair and red clothing drenched and soaked in the cold water. Drew was laughing his head off, pointing at May in ridicule. Angrily, she grabbed his ankle and pulled him in as well.

Drew splashed into the water as well. When he was at the surface with May, pulled his long, green, wet bangs out his face and asked, "What did you do that for?"

"What do you mean? You're the one who pushed me first!" backed up May.

As Drew was about to deny her accusation, they heard an eerie laugh from behind. May's wet, pouting face turned into fear, as she got closer to Drew, fearing the worst.

"Drew?" whispered May as the laughing seemed to get louder…or closer.

"Shh!" he warned, followed by, "Be really quiet. I think someone, or something, is trying to scare us. Try your best not to make a sound."

May nodded in agreement and they both kept as quiet as possible. Soon, the laughter stopped and out came a round purple head with vampire teeth, surrounded by a light purple gas.

"It's been a Gastly that's been scaring us," concluded Drew as the Gastly made left the coordinators in the creek, satisfied it had scared its victims.

May was about to comment as well but was cut off with a sneeze.

"You're starting to get a cold. Come on," said Drew as first he climbed out of the creek and helped May get up to the stream bank.

While May was shivering, Drew hardly seemed to be affected, despite the fact that his clothes were drenched in heavy water.

"Aren't you cold?" asked May as she and Drew walked back to campsite.

"Not really," he replied. "You?"

"Obviously!" she shuddered as she walked. Then she remembered something and gasped. "Everything is in my backpack! Now it's all wet! Oh no! My guidebook!"

"Don't worry. I borrowed it from you when you weren't paying attention," comforted Drew.

"I don't know whether I should mad or grateful," said May, followed by another gasp. "My clothes! Now I'm going to get sick for days!" Her theory was proved once she sneezed again. "Maybe I could use Blaziken again."

"Not unless you want to get burnt to a crisp," objected Drew. May sighed in disappointment, making Drew say, "Don't worry I'll let you borrow some of mine."

"Really?" asked May hopefully. "Won't you have any clothes?"

"I'm prepared for just about anything!" replied Drew with a flick of his hair, which was now drying.

"You're the best!" she said happily and gave him a big hug.

After a few seconds, May realized just who she was hugging and let go quickly. She coughed in embarrassment and said meekly, "Let's hurry before I get any sicker."

Drew nodded, being a little puzzled by actions. _Why'd she hug me? And why did she let go so quickly?_


	9. Chapter 9

Drew was more than prepared. He was…over prepared. It turns out that he had three pairs of the same outfit, including the soaked. Drew also had a pair of sweats he used every once in a while.

"Here," said Drew, handing her one of his black shirts.

"Thanks a lot, Drew. I really appreciate this," thanked May for the millionth time. This time, it was accompanied with a sneeze.

"Less talking, more changing," interrupted Drew as he walked out of the tent to let her change.

"Aren't you nice?" she managed to say before he was out of earshot. She heard Drew scoff and May smirked in victory.

May changed out of her wet clothes, leaving only her underclothes on and into his shirt. The black shirt came down near the middle of her thigh, leaving her somewhat uncomfortable. Another problem was how loose it was. May used at least 80 of the fabric, the other 20 just loosely hanging.

When May came out of the tent, she found Drew sitting by the fire, watching the flames dance in a repeated motion. He had changed into his other black shirt and the sweats he had.

"Hey," started May as she sat down next to him, putting her knees inside the shirt.

"Hey," he replied. Drew was about to scold May for stretching out his shirt, but decided against it since it probably wasn't very comfortable to be wearing it anyways.

"What are you doing?" she asked, not knowing what else to say.

"Nothing," he answered. Technically, it was true.

They sat there in silence, watching the fire burn the wood, turning it to ashes.

Drew was about to say something to May when he felt a thud on his shoulder. Startled, Drew turned his head to see the tired brunette fast asleep on his shoulder, exhausted from the day's events.

Carefully, he moved her head from his shoulder to his lap, which was more comfortable for the both of them. Then Drew was startled when May unconsciously put her arms around his waist and nestled up to him like a teddy bear. He cocked an eyebrow, but then smiled softly at the sleeping angel below him.

Deciding it was a safer bet to let her sleep the way she was, Drew carefully removed her arms from around him and lied down on the ground. Feeling that she wasn't hugging anything anymore, the sleeping May found her way to his belly and rested her head on him like a pillow. His purple jacket was conveniently within arms reach, so he grabbed it and put it on May so she wouldn't get cold. That was the last thing he did before drifting off to sleep, dreaming about teddy bears.

* * *

The next morning, May awoke to find that her bed was moving. She looked down to notice that her "bed" was none other than Drew. Sometime during the night, she had managed to climb on him like a bed. When May tried to get off, she noticed that he had his arms protectively around her, meeting at her back.

"Drew!" shouted May.

"Huh?" he asked, opening his eyes drowsily. When Drew noticed May's weight on him, he asked, "What are you doing?"

May scoffed and retorted, "What are you doing?"

Drew noticed that he had his arms around her and let go quickly. "I asked you first."

May blushed and said, "You try sleeping on the ground."

"I did in case you haven't noticed," he retorted, trying his hardest not to blush. "You can get off me now."

May stuck out her tongue and got off him, but not before elbowing him softly in the stomach as a sign of revenge. He groaned in pain as he got up and shot her a dirty look.

"You did that on purpose," he accused.

"You're smarter than I thought," she replied sarcastically, taking her dry clothes and starting to walk towards his tent. "I'm gonna change."

"Go ahead then. And you might want to fix your hair," he added as she closed the tent.

"Huh?" she asked, more to herself than Drew. May found a small mirror in Drew's tent and examined her head. Her hair was a frizzy monster of brown hair. She gasped in horror. May quickly changed into her clothes and walked outside where Drew was already dressed and ready to go.

When Drew saw May with her hair disaster and the pout on her face, he laughed. Hard. He was clutching his sides, building up her anger.

"It's not funny!" she protested as she got out a Pokémon. "Come out, Squirtle."

"Squirt!" called the blue turtle, looking up for May's command.

"Can you use a Water Gun on my hair. A soft one," she reminded.

Squirtle nodded its head and sent a small stream of water onto May's hair. Within a few minutes, her hair was damp and no longer frizzy. "Thanks, Squirtle," she said as she returned it to its Poké ball.

May began to brush out her hair and arrange it to its original hairstyle.

"Are you done yet?" asked Drew impatiently.

"Like you don't take a long time fixing your hair," she retorted, tying on her red bandana to complete her look. "There!"

"Finally," he said, ignoring her glare.

"'Finally'", she mocked as Drew packed up the tent.

* * *

After a few minutes, the duo was once again on the road towards Violet City.

"Drew?"

"Hmm?"

"Was Roselia your first Pokémon?"

"Yeah."

"Did you catch it or receive it?"

"Receive it."

"From a Professor?"

"No, from my grandmother."

"Really? How old were you?"

"Five."

"Wow, that's a long time. No wonder you two get along so well."

"Yeah."

"So, was it a baby or was it already a Roselia?"

"A baby."

"Aww!" exclaimed May, imagining Roselia as a baby. "That is nice of your Grandma, to give you your first Pokémon."

Drew winced at the "is" of her statement. _Was nice of Grandma._ "May?"

"Yeah?"

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't ask me all these personal questions."

May give him a puzzled look and asked, "Why not?"

"I prefer not to talk about it," he continued, hoping she wouldn't push the subject.

May, noticing the pleading in his voice, answered, "Okay. But…you'll tell me one day, right?"

"Yeah…"

"Good, 'cause friends shouldn't keep secrets!"

"Yeah…"

* * *

"May, are you sure this is the right way?" asked Drew.

"I'm pretty sure…"

Drew sighed and hoped they weren't wrong. An hour after they left their campground, they had reached a fork in the road and since neither of them had a map on them, at least a dry one, they had to guess which way to go. May insisted that "right is always right!" Drew decided to follow May's direction since he had no idea which way to go.

They continued to walk in silence, glancing at their surroundings and the road ahead.

"Drew?" started May.

"Yeah?"

"Do you hear that?"

Drew listened for a minute before answering, "It sounds like-"

"Music," finished May.

"If there's music, then there must be a-"

"A town!" interrupted May again. "I knew I chose the right path! Come on!"

Without an answer, May ran towards the music. Drew ran after her, not wanting her to get hurt, knowing she could be clumsy at times.

"Last one there's a rotten Pokémon egg!" challenged May, knowing she'd have the advantage.

"You're on!" accepted Drew as he ran beside her as the music became closer.

They ran at the same pace, sometimes running ahead of the other but the other managed to catch up. Then May, being dressed for adventure, passed Drew as she neared towards the source of the music.

She skidded to a stop with realization.

"It's not a town," started May when Drew caught up after a few seconds.

Drew finished, "It's a…"


	10. Chapter 10

"A festival?" concluded May and Drew.

They were by a lake and cave with festival booths all over the surrounding areas. Music floated through the air and people wandered about.

"Excuse me?" asked May to a blonde woman in the nearest booth.

"Yes?" asked the blonde woman.

"Is there a festival being held here?"

The woman nodded and answered, "There sure is. This is a festival for the Unown."

"Unown?" repeated May as she took out her Pokédex.

"Unown, the hieroglyphic Pokémon. This strange letter Pokémon sticks to the walls of caves to spell out messages. There are 28 known species of this Pokémon," said Dextette, the Pokédex.

"What a strange Pokémon," commented Drew, looking at the picture.

"Yeah," agreed May as they walked out of the booth. "Thanks!" called May to the woman who acknowledged her good-bye with the wave of her hand. "Can we stay, Drew?"

As Drew was about to protest, his stomach grumbled, causing a wide, triumphant smile to spread across May's face.

"So, are we going stay? I'm sure there's lots of good food," continued May, already knowing the answer but not being able to resist taunting him.

Drew sighed in defeat and replied, "Okay…but only for an hour!"

"Yay!" cheered May. "Let's get something to eat now."

"Uh-huh…"

* * *

The coordinators walked around after they and their Pokémon ate lunch. They checked out various booths, some containing prizes and others containing information.

"Hey Drew, let's check out that one!" suggested May, pointing to a booth that read, "Unown Fortune."

Drew shrugged in agreement and walked behind her as May walked in the booth.

"Hello, you two," welcomed the booth's owner. She had dark purple hair and eyes and wore a light black dress

"Hello," they answered back politely. They scowled at the fact that they spoke in unsion again.

The young woman chuckled and said, "I'm Amy. And this is the 'Unown Fortune'. Would you like your fortunes read?"

"Yes please!" answered May. Turning to the silent Drew, she asked, "Don't you want your fortune read too?"

Drew answered, "I guess."

"Good. Now, what are your names?"

"I'm May and this is Drew."

"M-3 and D-4," murmured Amy to herself. She picked up a packet of letter tiles and spilled them on the counter. She picked up 25 random tiles and put them in front of them. The letters were of the Unown.

"The one you truly love is near," read May and Drew from the tiles. They glanced at each other and exclaimed to Amy with noticeable blushes on their faces, "This fortune is wrong!"

Amy giggled and replied, "No, I'm pretty sure it's right. Don't worry; it's just a fortune. No one knows if it's true or not."

"Good," commented Drew, recovering from his blush.

May allowed a second of hurt to appear on her face before adding, "For real!"

Amy sighed and figured out these two were too stubborn.

"Well, thanks Amy. We'll see you around," said May as she and Drew walked out.

"Okay. Bye. Be careful, you two!"

"We will," they replied in unison before scowling.

"We have to stop doing that," said Drew.

"Uh-huh!" she replied. Then she gasped.

"What?" asked Drew.

"It's…them," answered May, looking at a group of girls wearing shirts and other accessories with Drew's face plastered on them.

"Uh-oh. We have to get out of here," said Drew.

"Okay. Let's be really-" started May.

"It's Drew!" squealed the leader, pointing at Drew.

"quiet," finished May.

The leader, a blonde girl with a large Drew shirt and shorts, realized May was next to Drew and said to the fan girls, "It's her! The girl who messed up Drew's hair! Get her, girls!" At her command, the girls stampeded towards May and Drew, hoping to get revenge.

"Drew!" called May as she and him started running away from the psycho girls.

"Yeah?"

"Where are we going to go? Those girls sure aren't going to let me get away this time!"

"I have an idea!"

"I don't think bushes are going to work this time!"

"Not that!" exclaimed Drew as the duo ran out of the festival, the girls not far behind. Taking a Poké ball from his pocket, he called, "Come out, Flygon!"

From the Poké ball's white light emerged the green dragon. "Fly!"

Not wasting any time, he picked May from her waist and on Flygon. Then he jumped on behind her and ordered, "Let's get out of here, Flygon!"

Following his trainer's command, Flygon took flight, the two coordinators ascending into the sky.

The girls caught up just in time to see May and Drew leaving. They groaned in defeat and the blonde shouted, "You'll be sorry you ever missed with Drew!"

May felt like laughing. It wasn't like Drew cared she had messed up his hair. It was just ridiculous to think that they thought they were doing it for Drew. All they were doing was making their lives a living hell. Not being able to resist, she shouted to ground, "In case you haven't noticed, he's traveling with me!"

From the sky, May could see the leader giving her a hateful glare at which May laughed at. Pretty soon, the girls were out of sight, leaving the duo alone with just each other, Flygon and the sky.

"I think I received my workout for the day," joked Drew from behind her.

May turned to add to his comment, but lost her balance on the green and red dragon. "Aaaaahhhhh!" she screamed as she fell, holding out her hand.

Drew quickly reached for her hand, but it was too late. "Maaaayyyy!" yelled Drew as the brunette fell. "Flygon!"

Immediately, Flygon quickly flew under her, causing May to land safely in Drew's arms. May breathed in deeply, holding her hands to her chest. She felt safe knowing she was in his hands, or in this case, arms.

"Are you all right?" asked Drew worriedly, still not letting her go.

May, still recovering from her fall, nodded her head slowly. She almost laughed when she put her head to his chest. His heart was beating fast, more than hers and she was the one who fell. "I'll be all right."

"Good," he sighed in relief. "Why does this remind me of the time when we fell off that cliff and into the river?"

May laughed and replied, "Because, it's really similar. I felt like I had déjà vu or something."

"Same here. Be more careful. You almost gave me a heart attack," he joked.

May giggled, knowing it was partially true. "You know, Drew? I'm really glad you were here to save me."

"Again," added Drew with a smirk.

May looked up to his playful yet knowing green eyes. "Again," she admitted.

Drew smirked once more. Then he asked, "Are you feeling better now?"

"I'm okay now," she replied.

"Then…do you want to sit on your own?" asked Drew.

"No…I'm okay like this," answered May truthfully with a smile.

"You are?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Okay. I'll make sure you don't fall," reassured Drew.

"Thanks Drew. It's only been a few days since we met each other again and you've done a lot for me," said May, her eyelids feeling heavy.

"We're friends, remember? Now, shh, go to sleep," replied Drew, realizing she was tired. He stroked her hair gently and hummed her a soft lullaby.

"Good night, Drew…" she mumbled before she drifted off to a deep sleep.

Drew smiled when she said, 'good night', since it was day. "Good night, May," he replied, although she couldn't hear him. Drew held her closer so she couldn't fall off as he directed Flygon towards Violet City.

* * *

May's eyes blinked in the sunlight an hour later. Looking up at Drew, she asked, drowsily, "Is it morning already?"

Drew chuckled and replied, "It wasn't even night when you fell asleep. Have a good nap?"

"Mm-hmm. Sleeping in midair is umm, relaxing?" answered May, trying to adjust her words. _It wasn't just sleeping in midair. It was sleeping with him. _"Drew, I'm okay now. You can let go," requested May, sitting up.

"Okay," he replied, slightly disappointed. Carefully, he helped her position herself on Flygon, keeping a firm grip on her waist. "We're almost in Violet City. Do you see it?" asked Drew in her ear, sending a pleasant chill up May's spine.

May looked into the horizon to see that they were indeed near to Violet City. She could even see the old Spout Tower pagoda from Flygon's back. "Wow, it's so pretty!"

"Sure is…"

* * *

"Drew, where'd you learn that lullaby?" asked May after the two landed in Violet City and were heading towards the Pokémon Center.

"My grandmother used to sing it to me when I was younger. Why?"

"My mom used to sing something really similar to it. The only that's different is the pitch. Your version is like an octave lower."

"Obviously since I'm a guy," reminded Drew.

"You sure about that?" teased May as she ran ahead towards a playground.

"What's that supposed to mean!" asked Drew, running after her.

May climbed to the top of the slide and sat down. Before she slid down, she answered, "You act like a girl!"

"No, I don't!" Drew approached the bottom of the slide as May slid down. Unfortunately, Drew was a little to close to the edge and tumbled over when May came down. They crashed back into the grass on their backs, side by side.

For a minute, they glared at each other. Then they burst out laughing, the bystanders watching them with puzzled faces. They looked at the faces and laughed harder. After their sugar rush, Drew got up and helped May up as well.

"Ooh! Let's go on the swings!" suggested May without an answer. She ran to a swing set of two and sat on one.

"I don't even get a thank you," muttered Drew as he sat down on the swing next to her.

May started swinging on the swing, going farther each time. She laughed in joy while she swung closer to the sky. "Hey Drew, let's see who can get up higher!"

"You're on!" accepted Drew as he tried to pick up the pace. Within minutes, they were at an equal rate of speed, trying to surpass the other.

"Look out!" shouted a voice behind them.

"What?" asked May and Drew as they skidded to a stop. They turned towards the direction of the voice and gasped.


	11. Chapter 11

May and Drew saw a flock of small, scrawny Spearow that were lead by a giant Fearow heading towards them.

"Duck!" called out the voice again. This time, they saw that a came from a boy in his late teens with dark blue hair, some of it overlapping the right side of his face. He wore blue robes, tied with a white sash and a lighter blue sleeveless jacket.

As instructed, May and Drew quickly fell to the ground and watched the stranger as the flock flew above them, although very close.

"Come out, Pidgeot!" said the boy, throwing the Poké ball into the air. From the red and white ball emerged a huge with light tan feathers, except for its head, which contained a long coat of colorful feathers. "Use Aerial Ace on Fearow!"

"Pidge! Ot!" it cried, heading at maximum speed to the leader of the flock. As Pidgeot neared Fearow, the dirt from the playground rose up, creating a cloudy veil. Then they saw Fearow being thrust into the air, its lackeys following.

May and Drew struggled to see the birds while Pidgeot's trainer ordered, "Use Whirlwind!" Pidgeot flapped its wings, creating a powerful wind that sent troublesome birds blowing away. Once they were sure they were gone, Pidgeot came back to its trainer's side. He petted its red and yellow mane and said, "Good job."

"Hey!" called May, running up to her heroes.

"Yeah?" asked the boy as he returned his Pidgeot to the Poké ball.

"Um, thanks for helping us out…but why'd they attack us? We weren't doing anything!" asked May, practically shouting.

"These Spearow are just arrogant and like to prove that they're strong," he answered.

"Excuse my friend for her outburst," interrupted Drew, walking beside May and in front of the blue-haired boy. "And her manners. I'm Drew and this little girl is May."

"I'm not a little girl! I've been traveling around for almost two years! Plus, Ash taught me a lot about the Pokémon world during those two years!" retorted May.

"Excuse me? Did you say Ash?" asked the boy.

"Yeah…" said May hesitantly. Was it possible he knew Ash?

"Is he from Pallet and have a Pikachu on his shoulder all the time?" he continued.

"Yeah. Do you know him?" asked May eagerly.

"I gave him his first badge," he replied.

"Then…you must be the Violet City Gym Leader!" exclaimed May.

"Yeah. The name's Falkner," he introduced at last.

"I'm guessing Flying-types are your specialty," spoke up Drew. "That Pidgeot was pretty powerful."

"Yeah. Say May, how'd you like a battle?" asked Falkner.

"A battle? But I'm just a coordinator!" protested May.

"But you're a trainer first!" insisted Drew.

"But…why?" asked May, not being able to think of another reason to object. Secretly, she had a good reason…even though she knew had to overcome it.

"I want to see what you learned from Ash. I haven't had a good battle in quite a while. Who better than someone who traveled around with one of the few people who gave me one of the best matches in my life?" asked Falkner.

Drew sent May a challenging look that seemed to taunt her.

"Okay! I'll do it!" exclaimed May confidently. It was the least she could do for both Ash and Falkner.

"This is going to be an interesting battle," commented Drew as Falkner led him and May to his gym. "What Pokémon are you going to use?"

"Since he's good with Flying, I think I'll use Blaziken! Fire-types are pretty good against Flying-types," answered May, as they walked on the busy streets of Violet City and towards a tall, spiral-shaped building.

Falkner scoffed and exclaimed, "You kids only think that type advantage is the key winning. It's how you use your Pokémon that counts!"

"Sorry…but Blaziken's also my strongest Pokémon," added May weakly, surprised at Falkner's outburst. "Plus, I don't have any Electric Pokémon…"

"There you go again! Haven't you ever heard not to judge a book by its cover? It's the same thing with Pokémon!" interrupted Falkner as they walked inside the Violet City Gym. "If that's what you learned from Ash when you were traveling with him, then he must have lost his touch."

"Hey! That's not true! Ash is one of the best trainers around!" protested May, starting to get fed up with Falkner's arrogance. He was worse than Drew, although Drew wasn't too bad. Drew was a constructive criticism person but Falkner was just a criticism.

"Prove it!" he challenged as he, Drew and May walked inside of the elevator.

"I will!" said May determinedly as the elevator rose to the very top of the building. Ash was a great friend and teacher to her. She probably wouldn't have gone as far as she did if it weren't for him. May was going to make sure to make him proud.

"May?" started Drew as Falkner led the coordinators out of the elevator and to the outside battlefield. A group of his students were on his sidelines, ready to cheer him on. May stood on one end while Falkner stood on the other.

"Yeah?" she asked back, eager to teach Falkner a lesson.

"Remember not to let it all get in your head. Keep a clear mind when you're battling him. He's not a Gym Leader for nothing, you know," advised Drew as he walked towards May's sidelines.

"Drew…" _Thank you…I won't let you down…both of you!_

"Go Pidgeot!" ordered Falkner, releasing his giant bird from the Poké ball. It flapped its wings majestically as it awaited its trainer's next command.

"Let's go, Blaziken!" called May, releasing her red and white, fighting, fire chicken.

"This one-on-one match between the Violet City Gym Leader: Falkner and the challenger: May of Petalburg City is about to begin!" announced the referee. "Are the trainers ready?" Falkner and May gave a nod of their heads. "Okay! Begin!"

They stood there, waiting for the opposite trainer to make a move.

"Ladies first," invited Falkner as he waved his hand.

"Fine! Blaziken, use Fire Spin!" ordered May as Blaziken sent a wave of controlled flames towards Pidgeot.

"Dodge with Agility!" countered Falkner, just in time. Pidgeot flew out of the path of the Fire Spin and straight into the air. "Now, use Wing Attack!" Pidgeot flew at the speed of light towards Blaziken, not giving May a chance to counterattack.

"Blaziken!" shouted May in worry when it crashed back into the floor as a result of the attack.

"You forgot something about your Blaziken, May," started Falkner. "Flying-types may be weak against Fire-types, but Flying-types are strong against Fighting-types!"

May gasped in realization. She had forgotten that Blaziken was half Fighting-type. May retorted, "I thought you said not to judge a Pokémon by its type!"

Falkner shrugged and ordered to Pidgeot, "Ariel Ace!"

"Blaziken!" cried May as Pidgeot tackled Blaziken at full speed, resulting in Blaziken falling back again. _What am I going to do? Pidgeot is too fast! _May panicked when Falkner ordered another Ariel Ace. _Wait, Drew said I have to keep a clear head…I can do this. I've had worse situations before. Ash always said that a good defense is a good offense! I won't lose! _"Blaziken, use Fire Spin to shield yourself!" ordered May quickly.

Blaziken unleashed a river of fire around itself just as Pidgeot was closing in. Pidgeot was too surprised to stop and crashed into the flames.

"Pidgeot!" shouted Falkner in distress as Pidgeot emerged from the dying flames with a few burns.

"Quick! Now use Sky Uppercut!" commanded May while she had the advantage.

Blaziken jumped up towards Pidgeot with its claw out. It began to glow and it hit its target with force.

"Hurry and use Flamethrower!" shouted May.

Blaziken, still in the air, spewed a sea of flames onto the weak Pidgeot.

"Pidgeot!" cried Falkner as Pidgeot fell from the sky. The proximity of the Flamethrower as well as the effect of the Fire move had weakened it immensely. Pidgeot hit the ground with a thud. It struggled to get up but it couldn't.

"Pidgeot is unable to battle. Blaziken and May are the winners!" announced the referee.

"I did it!" cheered May. "You did a great job, Blaziken!"

"You did a good job too, May," complimented Drew as he walked up towards the winners.

"Thank you, Drew…" she said, her eyes shining in happiness.

"Pidgeot…good job. You deserve a nice, long rest," said Falkner as he returned Pidgeot to its Poké ball. He walked up to May who was busy congratulating Blaziken. "May, I want to congratulate you on a great battle and victory."

"Thanks, Falkner! You were good too!"

"And…I wanted to apologize. I apparently misjudged you," he apologized.

"It's okay, Falkner. Nobody's perfect," reassured May.

"Either way, I want you to have this," said Falkner, handing May a Zephyr badge.

"But…I'm not a trainer!" protested May good-naturedly. "I'm a coordinator!"

"But you're a trainer first," reminded Drew.

"Well?" asked Falkner impatiently.

"I'll take it!" agreed May, grabbing the badge. Doing her best Ash imitation, "I got…a Zephyr badge!"

"Congrats, May," said Drew.

"Thanks, Drew!" Turning to Falkner, she asked, "Is there a postbox around here?"

"So, you're going to send it to your little brother?" asked Drew as May dropped a small package into the red postbox.

"Yup. I hope it gives him luck when he leaves on his Pokémon journey," explained May.

"That's really thoughtful of you," commented Drew with a soft smile.

"I know," she joked with a smile. "So, where to next?"

"On to Cherrygrove City," answered Drew.

"Race you?" challenged May, tilting her head towards the entrance Route 30.

"You love challenges you can't win, don't you?" asked Drew confidently.

"Something like that!" she answered, running ahead.

"Hey! No fair! That's cheating!" complained Drew as he ran after her, the sun setting behind them.

May replied, "Too bad! Maybe if you weren't so slow!"

"Hey!"

She laughed as Drew ran up to her pace. "I'm just kidding. Besides, we gotta stick together! Now and forever!"


	12. Chapter 12

Sorry for keeping all of you waiting. I've been to lazy/busy to update. And I'm female!

* * *

"Drew? Exactly how long is Route 30?" asked May as she and Drew made their way towards Cherrygrove City and one step closer to their destination in New Bark Town. 

"I dunno…maybe ten miles," estimated Drew as he walked alongside his traveling companion.

"Ten miles?!" exclaimed May in surprise. Most routes were about 5 or 7 miles but almost never 10. "It's going to take forever!"

"Not really. Maybe a day or two," corrected Drew as he stuck his hands in pockets. "Either way, we better stop for today. We only have about 20 minutes of sunlight left so we better make the most of it."

"Yeah," May nodded her head in agreement as she and Drew picked out a good place to set up camp. Route 30 had many bright green trees and grass as well as ponds so finding a spot was no trouble.

"It sure is hot," commented Drew as he set up his green tent next to May's red sleeping bag.

"I know. I thought that Route 30 was supposed to have an almost tropical kind of climate," added May, arranging the wood she found in a circular pattern inside a large dirt circle.

"Maybe there's a drought or something," he rationalized as he sat down a few feet away from the firewood and May.

"I guess," she agreed, standing up. May took out one of her Poké balls and threw it in the air. A bright light came out of it as it opened up and revealed a tall, red Pokémon. "Blaziken, can you please use a small Flamethrower so we can make a fire?" asked May to her Fire and Fighting Pokémon.

"Blaze!" it agreed as it let out a small steam of fire from its mouth and onto the wood. The wood crackled as it burned Blaziken's flame.

"Good job, Blaziken!" thanked May. May decided to let out all of her Pokémon since it was a nice night with a clear sky. Throwing all of her Poké balls in the air, she said, "Come out, everyone!" One by one came out her cute Squirtle, her cuddly Munchlax and her mischievous yet sweet Eevee. "You can play outside for a while but don't wonder off!" May warned, giving a significant look to Eevee and Squirtle.

Blaziken headed towards a tree and leaned against, looking towards the sky. Squirtle jumped into a pond that was near the campground. It created a splash and wet the surrounding grass area. Eevee and Munchlax followed Squirtle into the water since the pond was not too deep for Eevee or Munchlax. They started to some sort of game that involved water.

Following May's example, Drew called out his four Pokémon: Roselia, Absol, Masquerain and Flygon. Roselia headed towards a patch of flowers that was near Drew's tent and stayed there, admiring the colorful flowers. Flygon flew to the top of a tree and stayed there, overlooking the area. Absol walked a couple feet away from everyone and curled up to get an early night's sleep. Masquerain flew towards the pond that May's Pokémon were in. They asked if it wanted to play but Masquerain must have said no as it rested on a rock.

"You're Pokémon are loners, aren't they," commented May as she and Drew looked out to where May's Pokémon were playing.

"I guess so," replied Drew. "Some Pokémon take after they're owners so I guess that's it."

"Yeah. I think I should of bought Beautifly with me," said May, taking a look at Masquerain.

"What makes you say that?"

"Because Masquerain seems a bit lonely. And Beautifly and Masquerain always seemed to get along pretty well."

"Why did you leave it behind anyways?" asked Drew. "You left it behind during Kanto and only bought it back during our last battle."

"It seems happy there, in my Dad's greenhouse with Skitty. They were also the first two Pokémon I caught. Plus, Beautifly are my parents' favorite Pokémon."

"Why?" asked Drew. He knew that May was the daughter of the Petalburg Gym Leader, Norman and that he specialized in Normal-type Pokémon.

"Because when my Dad proposed to my Mom, there were a whole bunch of Beautifly surrounding them," answered May, remembering the story her mother told her.

"That's nice," commented Drew, imagining it in his head. "So, are you hungry?"

"What kind of question is that!" exclaimed May. "Of course! I'm famished!"

"Okay, that was a bad question but that doesn't mean you have to scream in my ear!" complained Drew playfully, getting his backpack. He rummaged through it and grinned. "I think I can cook something up."

"Ooh! What are you planning on making?" asked May eagerly and hungrily. She tried to peak at Drew's backpack but he closed it quickly.

"It's a surprise," he said secretly.

"Aw, c'mon Drew! Tell me! I'm hungry!" pleaded May as Drew stood up.

"You're going to stay hungry if you're not patient. Wait a while, all right?"

"Can I at least help?" asked May as Drew walked towards the pond.

"Nope!"

May's face turned into a scowl as she walked to her sleeping bag and started reading her guidebook.

"May!" called Drew. "If you want to eat, you better come quick!"

Instead of running, she walked a normal pace until a certain scent passed her nose. May sniffed it again and realized where it was coming from. She ran to where she saw Drew stirring a delicious looking pot of stew. Not only did it smell good, it looked good too. May nearly drooled at the sight of it since she hadn't had a satisfying meal in a couple of days.

"Where'd you get all that stuff?" asked May, referring to his cooking utensils, as she sat down on a soft patch of grass. "You didn't have that stuff when we were going to Violet City."

"Well, when you were going to buy your stamps, I decided to stock up on some stuff since this is one of the longest routes in Johto," he answered, handing her a bowl of stew.

"No wonder your backpack seemed a bit bulky," commented May as she accepted the bowl. She took a spoonful of stew and put it in her mouth. May savored the taste for a moment before she proclaimed, "This is delicious! You're a really good cook, Drew. You're almost as good as Brock!"

"I know and thanks," replied Drew cockily, getting out eight other bowls. He filled each of them up and called for the Pokémon. His Pokémon came and began to eat the food their trainer prepared for them. May's Pokémon looked at him with a look that seemed to ask, "Is that for us?" "There's enough for everyone," he welcomed as each of her Pokémon came to a different bowl.

"Thanks a lot, Drew. My Pokémon really appreciate it," said May sweetly as Drew sat down across from her with his own bowl.

"No prob," replied Drew as he too began to eat.

As usual, they ate in silence until they were finished. Both of their Pokémon had finished long ago and had gone somewhere to play (May's Pokémon) before bedtime or had already gone to sleep (Drew's Pokémon).

"So, what do we do with the dishes?" asked May as she and Drew stood up.

"We'll do 'em in the morning. We should get some sleep," answered Drew with a yawn.

"Good idea," May agreed, accompanied by a yawn as well. "Guys, it's time to sleep!" As they came to her, May added, "You can sleep outside tonight but be careful!"

They cheered and went to find a place to sleep. Blaziken went to the tree it had discovered earlier and sat down, leaning on it. Munchlax and Squirtle headed towards Blaziken's tree as well and lied down on the other side.

"What about you, Eevee?" asked May, staring at the small, light brown Pokémon. As a response, it rubbed against May's legs like a cat. "You want to stay with me?"

"Vee!" it answered, jumping into her arms.

"I think that's a yes," remarked Drew. "Well, good night then," he said, excusing himself as he walked inside of his tent.

"Good night, Drew," she responded even though she was sure he didn't hear it. May sat down on her red sleeping bag, setting Eevee down as well. She took off her shoes, socks, skirt and bandana and set them aside. May got inside of her sleeping back and motioned for Eevee to come in as well. It snuggled up against her and was soon fast asleep. "G'night, Eevee…" she murmured before she dozed off.

xxxxx

A few hours later, May woke up when she heard rustling around her. She sat up, being careful not to wake up Eevee, and tried to listen for the noises. They seemed to be coming from inside the tent. Unfortunately, a cloud passed by, covering the moonlight and May was left in the darkness. The shuffling continued and then before she knew it, something fell right next to her sleeping bag.

"Aah-" May started to scream but was stopped when her mouth was covered. She felt a person's presence behind her and she stuck out her elbow, hitting the culprit in the stomach. The person let go of her and fell back in pain.

May was about to scream again but stopped she heard the person groan, "May…you're too violent…"

Recognizing the voice's owner, she asked hesitantly, "Drew?"

There was silence again until the person asked, "Who else?"

_If it sounds like Drew and acts like Drew then it must be_… "Drew, I am so sorry! Are you okay?" asked May, climbing out of her sleeping bed and over to Drew who was on his knees and clutching his stomach.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine except for the throbbing pain in my stomach," answered Drew sarcastically, still bent over.

"Drew! Seriously, are you okay?" persisted May, grabbing onto his shoulders. She felt very guilty for hurting him but she was only defending herself.

"I'll be all right," he said. All though it was almost pitch black outside, May could feel his emerald eyes looking to her sapphire eyes. "But can you let go of my shoulders? Your nails are starting to dig into my flesh," requested Drew.

"Huh?" Then May realized that she had been holding onto him tightly, afraid that she hurt him badly. She let go quickly and apologized, "I'm sorry. It's just that you startled me."

"I guess it is my fault," admitted Drew, sitting down on the grass rather than kneeling.

"What were doing here in the middle of night?" asked May, sitting down as well.

"Well, the tent started getting all hot and stuffy so I decided not to take any chances of suffocating and came out here," he explained as the cloud passed, allowing the moonlight to shine. May could see now that he was not wearing his black turtleneck, only his purple short sleeve jacket.

"But why did you make so much noise?"

"You didn't expect me to sleep on the floor, did you? I was bringing my sleeping bag outside and I accidentally dropped it really close to you since it was really dark. I noticed that you woke up and then I knew you were going to scream so I wanted to stop you before you did but I was too late. I think you know the rest from there…" answered Drew.

"Oh," responded May. She felt less guilty now that she knew the whole story.

"Well, let's go to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us," suggested Drew, standing up. May nodded and he helped her up before they both headed towards their sleeping bags. They went inside their respective sleeping bags that were next to each other.

May had her back turned to Drew and was petting her sleeping Eevee softly. As Drew as about to close his eyes, May whispered, "Drew?"

He opened his eyes and whispered back, "Yeah?"

"You are okay, right?"

"May, for five days I've been traveling with you and already I've had more adventures than Hoenn and Kanto combined. An elbow to the stomach is nothing compared to what we've been through."

"Team Rocket…" started May.

"The Wynaut…" added Drew.

"Harley…"

"When I met up with you…"

"The Snubull…"

"The Gastly…"

"The fangirls…"

"The Scyther…"

"The Spearow…"

"And the Fearow…"

"And Falkner…"

They continued to list the adventures they had together, each time bringing a smile to their faces as they remembered their teamwork and how much fun they had.

"May?" asked Drew when they had just about covered every memory. "What Pokémon are you going to use for the contest?" When he didn't get a response, he assumed she had fallen asleep and he fell asleep a couple minutes later.

What Drew didn't know was that May had heard his question but she didn't want to answer it. She brought the hand that she had been petting Eevee with to her cheek and wiped away the tears that had leaked through her eyes. She closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm sorry, Eevee."


	13. Chapter 13

May woke up the next morning to find the sun shining brightly over her. But that was not what awoke her. It was the voice of her traveling companion, Drew, shouting commands a couple yards away from her.

"Use a double Razor Wind!" ordered the young, green haired coordinator to his white, dog-like Pokémon, Absol.

The dark blue scythe on the side of its head began to glow. Absol moved its head in a swift motion, releasing the energy in the form of two glowing crescents, going in the opposite directions at the same speed until they collided, sending glistening sparkles into the air.

"Now use Flash!" called out Drew, wrapping it up.

Absol's body gave off a powerful, blinding light, making its white fur seem shinier than ever, as well as to the remnants of the double Razor Wind.

"Wow," said May to herself quietly, hoping not to distract the duo.

"Looks like my wake up call worked pretty well," started Drew. He turned around to look at May and added, "Wouldn't you think so, May?"

"Oh, ha ha ha. I guess it was," she replied, a bit embarrassed.

Drew smirked to himself and petted Absol for a job well done.

"So, was that really to wake me up?" asked May, recovered.

"Of course not. I couldn't wake you up, even if I tried," he answered smugly. "I was practicing with Absol for the contest."

"The contest, huh? Is that you would be doing if you didn't come with me?" she asked, a little hesitant.

"Just about. It's like I told you after the Hoenn Grand Festival. 'You always have to keep trying to get better or someone will pass you by.'"

"Oh, then I guess you're not going to be getting much training done," commented May, a bit of guilt present in her voice.

"But it's okay. I probably would've been bored out of mind just staying in that city, spending all my time practicing," added Drew quickly but calmly, noticing her tone.

"Oh, that's good then. Glad I could help!" she replied with a smile. "So, how long have you been awake?"

"An hour, maybe two. I don't really know since I don't have a watch," he answered. "It's kinda funny since you slept before me yet you woke up after me."

"Huh? Oh, um, yeah, funny…" she played along nervously. What actually happened was that she couldn't sleep at all the previous night. Having been reminded of the contest reminded her of Eevee and the injury it suffered less than a week ago. There was a shard of guilt through her heart that she just couldn't get rid of. _If only I trusted Eevee more, it wouldn't have gotten hurt. Why didn't I just think that it was already strong the way it was? _

Drew sensed her nervousness and was about to ask her what was wrong but something in her normally playful blue eyes told him it wasn't the right time. Instead he asked, "You want some breakfast?"

Drew's voice bought May back from her guilt trip. May put on a bright smile and answered, "Yup."

"There's some leftover stew by the fire, or what's left of it anyways."

"Okay. But, wait a minute. Does that mean that you washed all the dishes?"

"Brilliant guess, genius," answered Drew sarcastically, causing May to glare at him. That was one of the first insults he gave her when they first met. "But you're doing them next time."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I have one more question. Where are all my Pokémon!" asked May frantically.

"Wow, you barely noticed?" he commented with a smirk.

"No!" she protested loudly, though it was lie.

"Uh-huh," replied Drew, sarcasm obviously present. Before May could yell out an angry comeback, he added, "Well, if you must know, they're inside their Poké balls."

"You used my Pokémon without my permission!" gasped May.

"Jeez, calm down. I was just doing them and you a favor." He explained, "After I fed them food that _I_ cooked, I should add, I decided I should start packing up. I did everything else I could do before it was time to return them to their Poké balls. I washed the dishes, put away my tent and my sleeping bag. All that was needed was for you to wake up. But I could tell by your snoring-"

"I don't snore!" protested May, interrupting Drew.

"How do you know whether or not you snore if you're asleep," he rationalized with a smug smile. "Anyways, I just decided to return your Pokémon for you since I just couldn't wake you up," finished Drew.

The last part was an understatement. When he said that he couldn't wake her up, it wasn't because she slept like a rock (well, partially). It was because he just didn't have the heart to wake her. May looked so sweet and peaceful when she slept, not even the coldest of hearts would want to wake her. But of course Drew wouldn't tell her that.

"Well, thanks I guess," replied May. "But you better let me know next time!"

"Yeah sure whatever. Why don't you go eat so we can get going already?"

"All right," she agreed. "Are you going to practice some more?"

"I might as well," answered Drew with shrug. "The Grand Festival is a little more than 11 months away."

"11 months!" exclaimed May. "I haven't even gotten my Contest Pass yet!"

"Relax, you only need five. When you were traveling around with your friends, you had to make different stops 'cause that Ash guy had to go to a Gym or Battle Frontier thing. But now, it's just you, just a Coordinator and her Pokémon. So you can win them in no time," explained Drew. He couldn't help but add, "Assuming you won't lose, of course."

"Was that supposed to be a compliment or an insult?" asked May coyly. Drew merely shrugged in response with an 'I-dunno-you-tell-me' smile and turned back to Absol.

_He's right. It's no pressure. I have to believe in myself. If I'm not then who is? I can do it! _May cheered in her head while she ate her breakfast and watched Drew and Absol perfect their Water Pulse attack.

xxxxxxxxxx

The sun that May had awoken to earlier in the morning was even brighter than ever. And hotter. May and Drew walked wearily through Route 30 in the scorching hot sun. Though she usually felt fine in her red, black and white attire but that day she felt incredibly hot. Drew wasn't holding up so good either. Like the night before, he only wore his purple, short sleeve jacket and teal pants instead of adding the black long sleeve shirt into the combo.

The coordinators walked in silence, thinking it was better not to start anything because the heat could really make their arguments much worse. But after a while, walking in silence became boring but they didn't complain. Instead, May came up with an idea.

She put her white and black gloved hands in a camera position and looked through them as if she was the camerawoman. May also began to narrate while 'filming' their surroundings. "Welcome to May's Expedition. I'm May and today, do I have a treat for you! We are live from Route 30 in Johto! As you can tell by the dry grass and trees, it seems there is currently a heat wave going on around here and we're trying our best to overcome it!" She moved her hands to 'film' Drew and continued, "That's right, ladies and gentlemen! We have a special co-host today from…" May stopped and whispered to Drew, "Drew, what's your hometown again?"

Drew rolled his eyes and answered, "LaRousse." He had assumed she'd already know since the Kanto MC, Lilian, had announced before he began his appeal at the last Grand Festival.

"Really? I've been there before!" said May excitedly. Remembering her 'audience,' she began, "From LaRousse City in the Hoenn Region. Most of you may know him as the oh so famous Pokémon coordinator, Drew! Sad to say my other traveling companions left to pursue their own careers but not to worry, folks! I'm still here! Anyways, say something to the camera, Drew!"

"I can't believe you're still doing this," said Drew bluntly, remembering when May did it back on Mirage Island.

"Why not?" punned May with a smile. "There's nothing better to do than pass the time."

"But do I have to be reminded of the heat by your narration?" he complained.

"Oops, am I? I didn't realize!" apologized May.

"Maybe you were just having so much fun, you forgot," said Drew sarcastically.

Ignoring him, she complained, "But, it's just so boring and we have such a long way to go!"

"Then…let's just talk," suggested Drew.

"Okay, but what about?" asked May, kicking up the dirt on Route 30's path. They still had a long way to go.

"Anything, I guess. Like um…" Drew paused for a second to think. "You said you've been to LaRousse. Tell me about that."

"Oh, haha. Trust me, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me," she said nervously, remembering the Deoxys and Rayquaza crisis that occurred on her visit.

"You're probably right about that," replied Drew sarcastically. "Plus, I bet you were going on the wrong side of the sidewalk."

"No, I wasn't!" she protested.

"Uh-huh," he said unbelievingly, irritating her. Before she could retort, he asked, "You still have your ID?"

"'ID?'" repeated May. "What ID?"

"The ones those blockheaded robots give you when you enter LaRousse," he elaborated. "Sometimes they call it a passport?"

"Oh yeah. Of course I still I have it. It's with me right now," she replied automatically but then wished she hadn't.

"Really?" he asked curiously. "Let me see it."

"No! I mean, why do you want to see it?"

"Why don't you want me to see it?"

"'Cause I don't want you to see it!"

"Why don't you want **me** to see it?" he asked, emphasizing on 'me'.

"No, that's not what I meant! I meant I don't want anyone to see it!" she corrected with a blush.

Drew laughed to himself and continued, "What's the big secret?"

"Nothing, I just hate that ID!"

"Why do you hate it?" he persisted. If he had to guess, he'd say her picture didn't turn out good. That was the problem with those blocky bots; they were so unpredictable. Either way, this was an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

"Why do you keep on asking me questions?"

"Why don't you answer my questions?"

"Because I don't want to answer your questions. Jeez, Drew. I never knew you were so annoying."

"Jeez, May, I never knew you were so secretive," he mocked. "What's so horrible about a bad picture?"

"That picture is just so embarrassing! Stupid robot surprised me!" she exclaimed but then realized she blurted out why she was trying to hide it.

"I knew it," said Drew, rather smugly.

"You were trying to trick me!" accused May.

"If you call that trying," sneered Drew.

"You're mean!"

"The truth hurts."

"You're worse than Harley," muttered May.

"What'd you say?" asked Drew suspiciously.

"Nothing!" she excused quickly, taking out her guidebook to avoid further questioning. Flipping through the pages, she said randomly, "'The City of Cute, Fragrant Flowers.'"

"Huh?" asked Drew, confused.

"'The City of Cute, Fragrant Flowers,'" repeated May. Then she explained, "That's Cherrygrove City's motto. Most of the towns in Johto have some kind of saying that represents their town."

"Oh," was all he said in response.

"Violet's was…" she trailed off, flipping through the guidebook, "'The City of Nostalgic Scents!' Besides the battle, it sure didn't feel nostalgic to me."

"It did to me," spoke up Drew.

Then it was May's turn to ask, "Huh?"

"That's where the first Johto contest I entered was," he explained. Drew added, "Harley was there."

"Really? Who won?" asked May.

"Who else?" asked Drew as if she were asking what color was the sky.

"You," concluded May dully but couldn't wipe the small smile off her face.

"Of course. It was pretty easy."

"How far did Harley go?"

"The finals."

"Then you beat him?"

"Obviously."

"Did he have any new Pokemon?"

"Not that I know of. He used that possessed-looking Wigglytuff but in the end, it was no simply match for Roselia."

"That's true," she added. As much as she hated to boost his ego, Drew's Roselia was a very strong Pokemon. It had even beaten Ash's Taillow once.

"So, May, I was wondering, what exactly does Harley have against you? It's like everytime I see both of you, he's out to get you or something," he inquired.

"That's just it. I don't know. It's really weird actually. I never did anything to him. Maybe it was something I said," she wondered outloud.

"Like?"

"Well, when we first met, he got kind of offended when I had to look up Cacturne on my Pokédex, plus I said Cacturne looked scary…I dunno. He's weird."

"That's so petty," commented Drew. "I hope we don't have to see him anytime soon."

"Yeah, I know. He always tries to trick me into using bad techniques or distracts me when we're battling."

"Distracting? When did that happen?"

"At the Purica contest he and I entered. Before the contest started, Harley secretly recorded Max telling a really embarassing story about me and when we were battling, he played it in front of everyone! He used that time I was distracted to attack but luckily, me and Bulbasaur won the match and the ribbon!"

"Was it really that embarassing to distract you during a battle?" asked Drew.

"Yes! They were laughing at me!" exclaimed May.

"You should ignore everyone else during a battle; it's just you, your Pokémon and your opponent. That should be all that matters during that time," said Drew.

May replied, "Yeah, I know that. But you probably would've done the same thing if someone told the whole public an embarassing story about you and they started making fun of you!"

"Define 'embarassing story'."

"A story that's embarassing!"

"How embarassing?"

"What do you care?"

"Who says I care? Unless you want me to care."

"No, I'm trying to do the exact opposite!" she said loudly.

"Why ever would you do that?" he asked, a bit sarcastic.

"'Cause I feel like it! Are you trying to blackmail me or something?"

"Something like that."

"All right! Enough! Do you want to know?"

"Yeah."

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Do you really, really want to know?"

"Yeah, get on with it."

"Do you really, really, really want to know?"

"May!"

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. But you have to promise not to laugh!"

"All right, I won't."

"Promise?" she asked.

"Promise," he replied but not before rolling his eyes.

"Wait, a pinky promise is better!"

"May!" exclaimed Drew, tired of her excuses.

"Okay!" May began, "Well, what happened was one day when I was little, me, my mom and my dad went to the beach. I was playing in the water and unfortunately for me, I was wearing a blue swimsuit and cap."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Drew.

May sighed. "You'll see. Anyways, I saw two Tentacool so I swam over to pet them."

"No way! You were going to pet a Tentacool?" Drew interrupted again.

"Shut up! I was young and naïve back then!" she shouted.

"You still are," muttered Drew but making sure she heard it.

After she stuck out her tongue at him, she folded her arms and continued with her story, "Anyways, before I knew it, I was surrouded by Tentacool! I mean, it's like the sea was full of Tentacool! Then I yelled for my parents to come help but my mom actually thought I was a Tentacool 'cause of the blue cap I was wearing…and she actually tried to catch me…But that's not all! Then stupid Harley started calling me Miss Tent and that made everyone laugh even harder!"

May expected to hear a stifled laugh of some sort from Drew but she didn't hear one. Her blushing face turned to look at him but he just kept on walking with an amused smile on his face.

"You're not laughing?" asked May.

"Does it look like I'm laughing?" he asked back.

"No, but it looks like you want to," accused May.

"Not really. The only thing that was kinda funny was how everyone thought you were a Tentacool but not that much. It's kind of sad, almost pathetic really how you could lose your concentration over that."

May didn't know what to say. Most people would've laughed in her face, especially ones that liked to mess with her.

"Plus, I couldn't 'cause I made you a promise and I don't break my promises," added Drew after a moment a silence.

"Oh," replied May. "Thanks, I guess."

Drew said nothing and the two continued to walk silently through the long and vast land that was Route 30. Over the next few hours, they still weren't talking, only thinking about what was to come, the contests and each other.

Drew was thinking about how to improve his appeal for the contest when all of a sudden, he heard a huge thud, followed by, "I CAN'T WALK ANYMORE!"

He turned his head to find May on her knees with her head down. Walking over to her, he said sarcastically, "You can walk. Just stand up and put one leg in front of the other. It's really easy once you get the hang of it."

"That's not funny, Drew! It's hot, I'm tired, I'm hungry and I can't go on!" she complained, putting her hands to her stomach to symbolize hunger.

Drew sighed and relented, "Fine, we can take a break. But no more than fifteen minutes, got it?"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" exclaimed May desperately. "Do you have any food?"

Drew sat down in front of her and put his backpack in between the two of them. "Yeah, I made some sandwiches before we left." He handed May one of them, who took gratefully.

Before taking a bite, she asked, "But why did you cook if we already had ingredients to make sandwiches in the first place."

"Because it takes more time to cook than to make sandwiches, especially when you're on the road. And since we weren't going anywhere, it was better not to waste our ingredients and just cook," explained Drew.

"Oh," said May in response and she took a bite of her sandwich. "Wow! These sandwiches are good too! They're almost as good as Madison's!"

"Do you have to keep saying, 'Almost as good as'?"

"Why? It's true."

"That's like saying you're almost as good as me," he answered. Then he added smugly, "Which we both know you're not."

May retorted, "Ha! Whatever Drew. Just because you've been in more contests than me doesn't mean that you're better me!"

"Yeah, keep thinking that," replied Drew as he took another bite. Then he felt something cold splash in his face.

May giggled as Drew wiped the water off his face. She had been fed up with his teasing and taunting so she spilled the contents of her water bottle all over him. Her giggling stopped when Drew poured his water onto her and unfortunately for May, Drew hadn't dranken much water like May had. She gasped in surprise as the cold water seeped through her clothing. May glared at Drew who had stood up and was laughing his head off.

"How dare you!" gasped May, jumping to her feet. She angrily pushed him back, causing him to lose his footing and step back in surprise.

"Hey! You started it," reminded Drew. "But I can finish it!"

"Really?" asked May in a challenging tone. She put one hand on her hip and waited for an answer.

"Yeah, really!" he confirmed.

"I don't think so!"said May confidently with a grin plastered on her face.

"And why not?" asked Drew suspiciously, taking notice of her grin. _That girl's definitely up to something._

"'Cause of this!" announced May quickly as she pulled out another bottle of water. "Surprise!" she said cheerily, spilling its contents all over Drew before he could react. She giggled when she saw Drew, his upper body completely drenched in water.

Drew pulled his wet, green bangs out of his face and open his eyes to give a glare to May. Then the corners of his mouth rose upward into a sly smile.

May took notice and stopped her laughing. As soon as Drew took a step towards her, she gave out a tiny yelp and began running away from the Drew and towards the thick trees of the surrounding forest. May looked over her shoulder and saw that Drew was indeed running after her.

"You better keep running, May! I'm not going to let you get away with that!" called out Drew.

"We'll see about that!" yelled back May as she ran inside the dense forest.

Quickly, her eyes scanned the forest for a good place to hide. She grinned as she saw a huge, tree to her left, at least 20 feet tall. Despite the drought, it was in good condition, its leaves perfectly full and filling the branches with a sea of green. She ran to the right, trying to trick Drew from following her. Hiding behind a nearby tree, she waited until the footsteps went away. After a couple of minutes, nothing was heard. May decided to wait for a few more minutes, just to be safe. The seconds ticked by and soon time was up. May quickly ran over to the tree she saw earlier. Grabbing hold of a branch that was near her, she pulled herself up the tree she was going to hide in. Branch by branch, May hoisted herself towards the top, the leaves of the tree brushing past her bare skin. About eight feet up the tree, her arms began to feel tired. To make things worse, it seemed that the higher she climbed, the less she could see. The leaves made it difficult to see up, down and all around her. _One more and I'll take a break, _May decided as she grabbed the next branch. Since she was tired, May didn't bother to check her weight but unfortunately, the branch was weak and snapped like a twig. May gasped as she closed her eyes and prepared herself for the pain that awaited her at the bottom. To her surprise, she stopped in midair. May felt a strong wind surround her and as she opened her eyes, she saw her heroes.

"Thought you could use some help!" called Drew, standing next to Masquerain, who was using a Silver Wind attack to hold May up. Drew then directed Masquerain's Silver Wind to help May, who landed safely on her knees. May was slightly disappointed her plan didn't work yet thankful she didn't break a bone or worse.

"Why do I always have to be the damsel in distress?" asked May to no one in particular as she got on her feet.

"'Cause it'd be kinda creepy if I was, don't you think?" replied Drew, walking over to May after he thanked and returned Masquerain.

"Not really!" teased May.

"Hey! Watch it! Miss Tent!"

May gasped. "Shut up, Mister Rose!" retorted May, fighting fire with fire.

"Ugh, don't call me that!"

"Hey, you started it!"

"No, you did!"

"No, I didn't! It was you!"

"You kept calling me a girl!"

"Why not? You sure act like one!"

"Well at least someone is acting mature here! I mean, seriously May, grow up!"

"Look who's talking, Drew! Stop blaming me for arguments that you started!"

"What are you talking about now?"

"You were the one who kept insulting me!"

"You threw water at me!"

"Because you were making fun of me!"

"But I just saved you! Ingrate!" accused Drew.

"Well, I'm sorry we all can't be as perfect as you!" yelled May sarcastically.

"You know what? I should've just stayed in Goldenrod where there aren't annoying crybabies like you!" shouted Drew.

"You're such a jerk, Drew! I-I wish I never asked you to come with me!" she shouted back.

"Oh yeah? Well, I wish I never met you!" yelled Drew.

May's angry face turned melancholy as his words echoed in her head, playing for what seemed forever but were only a few seconds. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned her back to him and started running. May didn't know where she was going but all she knew was it had to be away from him.

"Where are you going?" asked Drew.

Making sure her voice wouldn't crack, she called back, "It's too late to make your wish come true but we sure can make mine come true!"

"Wait! Come back!" shouted Drew but she was already too far to hear. "C'mon, May. You know I didn't mean it," he sighed as he watched her figure disappear into the forest.

Meanwhile, May ran through the tall grass and around the trees until she was so tired, she could barely breath let alone think. She leaned back against a tree and sank down to sit, hugging her knees to console herself. Though she was fighting back her tears, one managed to slip down her cheek which she wiped away quickly. _What are you crying for? That idiot's not worth your tears!, _she scolded herself yet after a few seconds, she just couldn't hold it in anymore and after a loud gasp of air, the tears began coming down uncontrollably. May didn't know why she was crying; the only thing she knew was that it hurt. It hurt for someone you called your friend, someone you trusted, someone who helped you out so many times, to say they wished they had never met you. A couple more minutes passed by as her sobbing began to slow down. She began to think of all the memories they had been talking about just last night. Despite her situation, May smiled a bit before her lip began to quiver with the fact Drew had wished they had never happened. The tears that welled up in her in blue eyes slowly came down again. May sniffed as she wiped them away again and murmured, "Stupid Drew."

"Yeah, I am stupid."

May looked up in surprise to find a certain sorry-looking boy with green hair, a purple shirt and teal pants looking down at her. If she hadn't been so tired and worn out, May would've run out again but she didn't. She couldn't.

When May wouldn't reply, Drew pointed to a spot next to her and asked, "Do you mind?" May shook her head no and he sat down next to her. He didn't say anything and neither did she. Drew was thinking about what to say, what he was supposed to say. 'I'm sorry for yelling at you' or 'I'm sorry for insulting you' just wasn't going to cut it.'

"Why did you come?" asked May, interrupting Drew's thoughts.

"Well, I can't just leave you alone. And I told your mom I'd take care of you, remember?" he replied half-jokingly. May didn't respond so Drew said, "That's actually what I'd like to know myself." After May shot him a confused look, he continued, "You see, I'm not really sure why I came here either. I just felt like I had to. I mean, it's one thing to see someone cry but it's another thing to see someone cry when you know you're the one that caused it. I'm not going lie to you, May. Sometimes I do regret the things I've done…but meeting you was definitely not one of them. Look, what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry. I really didn't mean what I said back there." Swallowing his pride, Drew asked, "Do you accept my apology?"

"No," answered May. "Not until you accept mine." Drew sighed in relief and nodded for her to go on. "Well, I'm sorry for always getting in the way. Especially since you get dragged into it most of the time."

"Comes with the job," he answered, somewhat playfully. "So, we're good?"

"I guess so," she replied. "But Drew, am I really an annoying crybaby?"

"As much as I am perfect and a jerk," said Drew, getting up. May laughed in reply and got up as well. "Well, let's get back on the road. We've wasted enough time here."

May nodded and exclaimed, "Next stop: Cherrygrove City!"


	14. Chapter 14

"And that's basically what I've been doing since we last saw each other," concluded Drew as he and May continued to travel through the scorching Route 30 after settling their mid-day argument.

"Training, huh? Yeah, I did a lot of that too, back in Petalburg. And sometimes if my dad wasn't busy, he'd help me out too," replied May.

"You're dad's the Gym Leader, right?" he asked.

May asked, "Yeah, but how did you-"

"M.F.P.," he sighed, not to fond of the memory of the Mothers For Pokémon fanclub all over him (and May) in Rubello Town, the site of May's humilating loss after her two straight wins had gone to her head.

May let out a small laugh and continued, "Yeah, well, anyways, sometimes he'd help me train, but most of the time it was Max."

"I thought your little brother didn't have any Pokémon," recalled Drew.

"He doesn't, at least not for a year. He just borrowed mine and we sparred a little," she explained. "If there's one person that knows them as well as I do, it's definitely Max."

"That's good, I guess," he commented. "Why didn't he come with you this time?"

"Well, first was because he needed to start preparing to become a trainer. The other reason is that I don't want to depend on him so much. I mean, I didn't know anything about Pokémon or what I wanted when I started out. To tell the truth, I didn't even like Pokémon. I just used them as an excuse to travel the world. And when I was traveling around with everyone, I found out what I really wanted to be: a coordinator. And now that I know what I want to do, I want do my best to achieve my goal. There's so much for me to learn in Johto, whether its battling skills or contest techniques. I know that it'll be better to learn them on my own than depending on other people to teach me. That's why I'm here alone."

"You're not alone…anymore," added Drew, quietly.

May smiled but didn't reply, knowing an awkward silence would follow if she did. Changing the subject, May asked, "Have you seen Soledad?"

Drew answered, "No, actually. I got an e-mail from her a couple of weeks ago. She said that she's been doing well, training and entering a lot of contests. I guess she's aiming for that Ribbon Cup again."

"She won't get it this time," said May, determined.

"Yeah," agreed Drew. "'Cause I'm gonna get it."

"That's what you think," replied May competively.

"It's what I know," he retorted suavely. "You're still two ribbons behind."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely catch up," she remarked.

"You always do," commented Drew.

"And it won't be long until I win that Ribbon Cup! No one's going to get in my way!" said a determined May.

"Except for me. And don't you forget it," reminded Drew competively.

"Of course not!" she replied. "I know you like winning, Drew. But let me tell you one thing. I don't like losing."

"Well, you better get used to it," said Drew smugly.

"No way! I hate to admit this but you're my number one rival, Drew. But there's absolutely no way I'm gonna lose to you again!"

"Really?" asked Drew, slightly touched by the first part of her statement.

"Count on it, Mister!" she retorted, fired up.

Drew silently chuckled and said, "Well, save your breath. The contest in Goldenrod isn't for a while and we'll settle our score there."

May nodded her head, her fists tightly clenched and to her chest. _I'm not going to lose! No matter what! I know everyone's cheering for me. Back home…in Sinnoh…everywhere!_

Interrupting her thoughts, Drew asked, "Have you been in any contests since Mulberry?"

"Just one, except it was unofficial. It was a tie though," answered May.

"Tie?" repeated Drew.

"Yeah. It was between me and Ash. Blaziken and Sceptile battled it out but in the end, it was a tie."

"What'd you do with the medal? You both couldn't keep it."

"Yes we could!" replied May. Drew gave her a 'are you crazy?' look and she explained, "Sceptile used Leaf Blade and split it in half. Wanna see it?"

Drew nodded his head as May zipped opened her black backpack that she had gotten off her back, regardless of whether or not Drew was intent on seeing it. She dug through her backpack until she was satisfied and took out a small wooden box, about a foot long.

"Hold this for me," requested May, handing the box to Drew who took it into his arms, a bewildered look on a his face.

_I thought she was gonna show me a medal not a old box. _Drew shrugged and handed the box back to May after she had the backpack back on her back. She opened the box slowly, as if to create suspense. Drew rolled his eyes but slightly smiled at her childish behavior. At last, the box was open. Drew saw a book, most likely a diary, some pictures of her and her friends and family, a blue bracelet, a few envelopes and a few other things. The thing that caught Drew's eye was the left half of a ribbon. By the looks of it, it seemed the original medal was an orange circle that was bordered by yellow spikes. Around it were a few laces of pink ribbon that were outlined in white.

"Ta-da!" exclaimed May, holding out the medal to Drew for a better look.

"Nice," he said, looking at it and then handing it back it to May. "Is that when your Combusken evolved?"

"Yeah," replied May. "Come to think of it, you didn't look too surprised when you saw Blaziken."

"I could tell by our last battle it was only a matter of time," explained Drew.

"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" asked May.

"Take it the way you want to take it," he shrugged.

May scoffed but couldn't help but smile. How typical of Drew to be indirect with compliments.

To avoid further questioning, Drew asked, "So, how about some dinner?"

xoxoxoxoxoxo

After eating another delicious meal prepared by Drew, our two favorite coordinators continued to follow the path that would soon lead them to Cherrygrove City. The sun was beginning to sink lower into the ground, indicating nightfall was coming soon.

"This is strange," commented Drew as he looked around.

"What's strange?" asked May curiously.

"Last time I was here, there were a whole ton of Pokémon but now there's hardly any at all," explained Drew.

"That is weird," agreed May. "Maybe they moved to a different place?"

"Maybe," said Drew, not exactly convinced.

After a few moments of silence, May asked, "How much longer?"

"I'm not sure," replied Drew. "We-"

"You're not sure! Looks like Mister Know-It-All finally lost his touch," announced May.

"May…don't start. I'm just trying to answer your question so I'd be quiet and listen if I was you," he shot back, obviously irritated.

"I was just kidding," replied May quietly, a little hurt.

Drew sighed and said, "It's all right. I guess I overreacted a little. Must be this stupid heat."

"Oh, you're probably right, I guess," said May.

Drew nodded and looked ahead. They coming near an area that was quite bumpy from the surrounding hills it had. There was one hill that was the tallest of them all and it seemed to block the sunlight. Drew remembered something and ran towards it.

"Where are you going?" called May as she chased after him. He had already started making his way to the top.

"Why are you asking when you can find out for yourself," he called back, causing May to go up the steep hill as well.

"Wow!" exclaimed May when she reached the top.

"You see. That's why it's better to experience things on your own," lectured Drew although he was being ignored. "The view is-"

"Awesome!" interrupted May.

"I was going to say amazing but I guess awesome works too," replied Drew as he too took a better look.

The hill they were on was overlooking Cherrygrove City, which was still far away. To make things better, the sunset illuminated the west side of town and gave it a rainbow of colors.

They sat down on the grass lazily and watched the sun set behind the city, forgetting that they were supposed to get there soon. Both were mesmorized by the different hues the sun reflected onto the clouds. May and Drew looked down on the little town, noticing how everything looked so small and fragile. The people looked like ants from their point of view. They were so intent on watching, they forgot they were supposed to go there.

It wasn't until the last ray of sunlight was gone that they snapped out of their trance.

"I think we lost track of time," commented May sheepishly.

"I wonder what gave you that idea," asked Drew sarcastically as they got up, both surrounded by the light of the moon.

"Hardihar. You're so funny," replied May, equally sarcastic. Then she asked, "What do we do now?"

"We keep on going," answered Drew with a shrug.

"What?" exclaimed May. "But it's nighttime!"

"What's the matter, May? Scared of the dark?" asked Drew teasingly.

"Of course I'm not!" she protested. "I'm just saying that it might be dangerous."

"But we're really close, May!" reasoned Drew. "We can't waste anymore time."

"Yeah but…I'm sleepy!"

"You've gotta be kidding me…"

"What? There's nothing wrong with that!"

"Do you want to make it back in time for the Goldenrod Contest?" asked Drew.

"Yes," answered May.

"Then trust me, May," he replied.

"Okay…" agreed May, still doubtful.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Are we there yet?" asked May for the millionth time, this time accompanied with a yawn.

"No," replied Drew monotonously, bored from answering the same question. Many hours had passed by since they had watched the sunset over Cherrygrove City. Drew was certain it was well past midnight.

"Are we there yet?" she asked again, this time drowsily.

"No," sighed Drew.

With half-open eyes, May complained, "Drew, if I don't get some sleep soon, I'm going to collapse."

"We're almost there," replied Drew automatically.

"You said that six hours ago," recalled May dully.

"And it's just as true now as it was then. I said 'almost'," reminded Drew.

"I'm too tired to fight with you. I just want to go to sleep!" she whined.

_Poor May. She's not used to staying up as late as me. _"We'll be there soon," reassured Drew.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

About two hours later, Drew and a (half) sleep-walking May finally arrived the small town of Cherrygrove City. As it was the middle of the night, one could hear the ocean's waves crashing onto the shore, not too far from the entrance of the city.

"Are we there yet," whispered May, subconciously.

"Yes!" exclaimed Drew with bloodshot green eyes. He sighed in relief, glad to have finally made it to Cherrygrove City.

"Pokémon Center," mumbled May.

Drew inwardly groaned. It's not to say that he didn't like Pokémon Centers, they just weren't 'his style'. "Okay, we're going. C'mon," said Drew as he steered May by the shoulders towards the east side of town and the Pokémon Center.

After a few moments of walking through the empty streets, the duo finally reached the Pokémon Center. As they reached the entrance, the glass doors automatically opened and allowed them entry inside. They were welcomed by the cold air inside of the Pokémon Center, the air conditioner obviously on the fritz. Just a few steps away from the door was Nurse Joy's reception desk and to the far right was a comfy, little lobby with blue cushioned chairs and sofas and a few wooden tables. To the far left were the rooms used only for emergencies and operations.

Drew rang the bell on the desk numerous times but no one came. _Well, it is pretty late and I guess it's tough being a nurse. _

"Where's my bed?" asked May a few seconds later, her eyes nearly closed.

"I guess no one's coming," murmured Drew to himself. He looked over to the lobby and sighed. "Better than nothing." Turning to May, he said, "C'mon." He dragged her over to a three-seat sofa and tiredly dropped into into the couch. May did the same on the middle cushion but her eyes closed immediately after.

"G'night…," she managed to mumble.

Drew rolled his eyes before whispering back, "Sweet dreams, May," and falling asleep as well.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

May opened her sapphire eyes the next morning and was surprised to see that she was in a bed, neatly tucked in. She sat up and looked to her right where she saw another bed with Drew sleeping in it, his chest rising up and down slowly under the covers as he took in quiet breaths. May smiled softly, noticing the almost peaceful expression on his face. No smirk, no frown, just Drew. Then she noticed what she was doing and snapped out of it. May stood up and walked over to a wooden desk where her fanny pack was and she snapped it back around her waist.

"What happened?" pondered May out loud as she looked out the window that was located above the desk. The scorching sun was in the middle of the sky, meaning it was around noon.

"Do you really want to know or are you just asking a rhetorical question?" asked a voice from behind.

May jumped, obviously startled by the sudden noise in the quiet atmosphere. She immediately and turned around to see Drew, who was standing next to his bed. "Drew!" exclaimed May.

"Who else?" asked Drew sarcastically.

"Some weirdo with green hair," replied May teasingly.

"Don't hate. Appreciate," scolded Drew playfully as he flipped his hair. The two of them snickered under their breath until they burst out in laughter.

"So what really happened yesterday?" asked May once they recovered from their sudden outburst.

Drew began, "Well…a couple hours after we fell asleep…"

_Flashback_

_Drew awoke tiredly to find a young woman shaking him awake. She was in a short sleeved, collared, light pink dress that was covered by a white apron. The straps of the apron were covered by her orange, pigtailed loops that settled neatly on her shoulders. Her white nurse hat had a light blue medical cross that matched with her eyes, which contrasted to her orange bangs that came down on her forehead._

"_Oh, dear, I'm sorry I didn't notice you before," said the young nurse worriedly. "With the heat, hardly anybody has been coming so I didn't expect anyone to come, especially so late."_

"_It's all right, Nurse Joy," said Drew groggily, obviously still tired. He looked at the nearby clock and noticed it was almost six. _

"_Well, let me get you a room at least," insisted Nurse Joy. "What about her?"_

_Drew's tired, green eyes moved to see a young girl sleeping peacefully with her head on his lap and in a fetal position. "She's not gonna wake up easily but I'll carry her, I guess," answered Drew. He carefully removed her from his lap and carried her in his arms. May had surprisingly not woken up, despite the movement that was going. Drew noticed that she was very light, despite the fact that she engorged her self in food the previous night. Nurse Joy led him to a room with two beds, both on opposite walls. Removing her fanny pack and placing it on the desk, he gently tucked her in, said a quick thank you to Nurse Joy and went back to sleep himself. _

_End of Flashback_

"And here we are," he concluded.

To her greatest discomfort, May felt her face heat up into a deep crimson when she heard about when she slept on his lap and when he carried her to the room.

"May, you're so red you're matching your outfit," teased Drew, unable to resist taunting her. Then he stretched, causing his purple jacket to rise and show a bit of skin.

May felt all of her awkwardness melt away and be replaced with guilt when she saw a bluish spot by his stomach. "Is that…" she began before trailing off, not being able to continue.

Drew looked down at the bruise (refer to Chapter 12) and back at May. "Yeah," he answered.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why would I tell you? It's not gonna kill me or anything. And besides, you need to forget the past and focus on the future."

"Yeah, but-" she started before being interrupted.

"I don't want to hear it! You know what your problem is, May? You have a hard time letting go. You need to learn that some things happen for a reason and what's done is done," lectured Drew. "Live, learn and forget."

"Easier said than done," she whispered ever so quietly.

"Wait, what is that supposed to mean?" asked Drew suspiciously, his sharp ears listening.

Realizing what she just said out loud, May quickly said, "Nothing!" and began to laugh it off nervously. Changing the subject, May added, "C'mon. Let's get some breakfast!"

"All right," he agreed reluctantly. Drew wanted to know what she meant but he was hungry so he couldn't argue.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

May wore her usual red and black blouse with her white skirt over black shorts. Her yellow fanny pack was fastened safely around her waist while she had left her backpack and other belongings in the Pokémon Center. Drew, deciding that it was cooler in Cherrygrove than Route 30, wore his black turtleneck with his shirt sleeve purple jacket over it. He walked alongside May with his left hand inside of his pocket towards a restaurant that was near the Pokémon Center, about a fifteen-minute walk down the street. As they continued to travel west, their senses could tell they were near the ocean. The Wingull cawed over the crashing, blue waves, trying to steal food from tourists while the smell of saltwater surfed the wind.

"This place is so peaceful," commented May with a blissful sigh. They were near the park and a few minutes away from where they hoped to get some brunch.

"Yeah," agreed Drew. "This town has a good climate."

"Now, use Sweet Scent!" shouted a feminine voice.

May and Drew turned to see a brunette commanding small Grass Pokémon that wore a green and yellow leaf skirt had two red flowers attached to its head. In her arms she held a yellow seed Pokémon with a few vertical black stripes and two green leaves on its head and by her side was a small green Pokémon with a yellow flower on its head.

"Now you use Petal Dance!" ordered the brunette. On its trainer's command, the Pokémon released a stream of shiny pink petals that mixed into the pink powder that was Sweet Scent, sending white and pink sparkles to shine with the petals.

May clapped loudly, startling the girl who turned around quickly. "That was awesome!" complimented May.

"Oh…thank you," she responded sweetly. Then she noticed the green-haired boy and gasped. "Drew!"

"Yeah?" he asked hesitantly while praying in his head, _Please don't be a fangirl, please don't be a fangirl!_

"You don't recognize me?" asked the girl.

Drew looked at the girl and studied her for a moment. She was around his and May's age, probably older. The brunette had amber eyes and wore a long-sleeved white blouse and white, knee length skirt. Then it came to him when he saw her Pokémon that had just performed stepping next to her. Snapping his fingers in realization, he said, "Oh, now I remember you. You were in the Violet City Contest. You went to the semi-finals but Harley managed to beat you."

"But you managed to beat Harley. That was a really stunning battle and your Roselia's appeal was absolutely gorgeous!" complimented the new brunette.

"Thanks, but yours wasn't too bad either," replied Drew.

"Introductions, please!" interrupted May.

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Flor. I'm a Grass-type Pokémon Coordinator," she introduced.

"Hi, I'm May and I'm just a Coordinator," she said jokingly.

"May? So you're the girl Drew and Harley were talking about," recalled Flor.

"Huh, they were talking…about me?" asked May, pointing to herself.

"You were eavesdropping?" asked Drew, surprised.

"I was nearby and it's not like I could tell my ears to stop listening," shrugged Flor innocently.

"Wait. Flor, what were they saying about me?" asked May.

"Well…" she began.

_Flashback_

"_Well if it isn't the Lettuce Head?" said a man in his early 20's dressed in a green Cacturne costume. His long purple hair was loose and ran down his back except for two locks that were on the front. "Fancy seeing you here."_

"_Why? It's obvious I'm here to win, Harley," replied Drew indifferently, dressed in his usual teal pants, black turtleneck and purple jacket. His green eyes hinted annoyance as well as a bit of curiosity. _

"_There's only going to be one winner today and that's gonna be me!" declared Harley, his beady blue eyes fierce in determination. Although Harley towered over him, Drew wasn't intimidated._

"_We'll see about that," said Drew confidently. _

"_Yes, we will," he replied, not necessarily agreeing. "So, where's your little girlfriend?"_

"_May's not here," answered Drew, still keeping his calm exterior. _

"_Oh, so you admit she's your girlfriend?" asked Harley slyly, trying to gain the upper hand. _

"_Even if I said she wasn't, you'd still call her that so what's the point of wasting my time?" asked Drew coolly before putting his left hand in his pocket and walking away from the fuming Harley. _

_End of Flashback_

"And yeah…" concluded Flor.

"Oh," replied May. She was speechless. There was nothing to say. Drew stayed quiet as well.

Noticing May and Drew kept silent, Flor spoke up, "May, can I ask you a favor?"

"Um, yeah, I guess," said May.

"If it's okay, can I battle with you," requested Flor.

"Battle? Why me?" asked May.

"Because you seem like a strong trainer," she answered, plain and simple.

"I'd like to but we were just on our way to get some breakfast," explained May but still glad she received that compliment.

"Breakfast?" asked Flor, confused.

"We arrived REALLY late so we slept in," laughed May sheepishly. "Besides, a meal's a meal."

"Oh…well I was going to have a lunch break anyway so why don't we all go together?" asked Flor.

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. What do you think, Drew?" asked May.

"Sure, that's cool," he replied.

"Great," exclaimed Flor. Turning to May, she added, "And then, we can battle!"

"Fine by me!" agreed May.

"Well, let me introduce you to my Pokémon," she said. "This is Bellossom," referring to the Pokémon that had just performed.

May took out her yellow Pokédex to find out more about her Pokémon. Dexette said in her computerized voice, "_Bellossom: the Dance Pokémon. This Grass is one of the two final evolutions of Gloom. Its flower petals deepen in color through exposure to sunlight. When cloudy weather persists, it does a dance that is thought to be a ritual for summoning the sun. It is said its petals rub together and make a pleasant ringing sound."_

"This is Skiploom," she continued, this time the small green Pokémon by her side.

"_Skiploom: the evolved form of Hoppip. __It spreads its petals to absorb sunlight. It also floats in the air to get closer to the sun. Skiploom's flower blossoms when the temperature rises above 64 degrees F. How much the flower opens depends on the temperature. For that reason, this Pokémon is sometimes used as a thermometer."_

"Last but not least, this is Sunkern," said Flor, holding up the cheery yellow and black seed Pokémon.

"_Sunkern: the seed Pokémon. __Sunkern tries to move as little as it possibly can. It does so because it tries to conserve all the nutrients it has stored in its body for its evolution. It will not eat a thing, subsisting only on morning dew. It is very weak. Its only means of defense is to shake its leaves desperately at its attacker."_

"Aw, it's so cute," commented May.

"Yeah. I just caught it just a few months ago," said Flor.

"Has it won any ribbons, yet?" asked May.

"Sunkern hasn't even debuted yet but it will soon. It needs to train a little more so it could be stronger," explained Flor.

May's eyes widened in surprise, her words reminding her of how she sounded when she battled the redheaded guy with the Rhydon. "Just don't go overboard," she advised, her head cast down.

"Don't worry, I'd never do that," she agreed, before returning her Pokémon to their Poké balls.

"That's good," replied May quietly.

"So, how many ribbons do you have, May?" asked Flor as trio of coordinators walked towards the restaurant May and Drew were headed to earlier.

"Well, no Johto ribbons since I arrived here like a week ago," answered May. "But hopefully I could win the Goldenrod Contest and win my first ribbon!"

"But if you're entering the Goldenrod Contest, what are you doing here? Shouldn't you practicing over there?" asked Flor.

"I'm running an errand for Professor Oak so I have to go to New Bark Town," explained May as the trio entered a tropical restaurant by the seaside. They took a seat at a booth where May and Flor sat together while Drew sat alone. After ordering their food, which was a lot, Flor continued interrogating.

"And what about Drew? Why'd he tag along? From what I've noticed, he doesn't really get along with the competition," inquired Flor,

Drew scowled a bit while May giggled and then replied, "He's overprotective."

Drew, nearly choking, spit out his drink. "Overprotective?! I'm here so I could make sure you don't get lost!"

"Same difference," replied May, laughing at Drew, who was cleaning up his spilt soda with napkins.

While Drew muttered something coherently to himself, May asked to Flor, "How many do you have?"

"Just one," she answered. "Bellossom worked really hard for it."

"Just your Bellossom? Doesn't Johto allow you to change Pokémon?" asked May.

"Drew hasn't told you the Johto Contest rules?" asked Flor, shocked. When May shook her head 'no', she replied, "Then I suppose you don't know about the Battle Bar system, either?"

"Battle Bar?" repeated May questioningly while tilting her head.

"Shame on you, Drew, not teaching May about the rules here," scolded Flor but Drew shrugged his shoulders uncaringly while dipping his fries in ketchup. "Well, we do things here a little differently in Johto. When it comes to appeals, the rules are basically the same everywhere but battling is where things take a turn. You know how Contests in other regions don't have their points linked to each other? Well, here they are linked."

"What do you mean 'linked'?" asked May.

"Well, say you and Drew are battling in the finals," she began. "Drew sends out a powerful attack and in any other Contest, that would cause you to lose points. But here, they're connected so Drew would also 'gain' points. Basically, you're not only battling each other and the clock, but also how much space on the bar you get."

"Wow, that's really different," commented May. "What about Pokémon? Can you switch them between rounds?"

"Well, yes you can but the judges here like to see how tough your Pokémon are, how long they can hold up before they wipe out," explained Flor. "But it's not necessary not to. They just like to see how high their endurance can go because that shows how well you raise your Pokémon."

"Wow, things here are so different," said May, amazed.

"You already said that," spoke up Drew, popping a fry into his mouth.

"That's because it's true!" retorted May.

"Shut up and eat your food," he responded coolly.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she replied loudly, not wanting to shout in public. Then, much to her dismay, her stomach grumbled hungrily, causing her to blush in embarrassment.

"Well, I think your stomach doesn't agree with you," he grinned.

"Yeah, well, my fist doesn't agree with you!" growled May, standing up.

"May, calm down," said Flor, trying to hold her back. "Eat up so you can be ready to give me a good battle when we're done."

"Huh? Oh yeah. That's true," agreed May, now relaxed. She sat down but not before sending a poisonous glare to Drew.

"You better eat up, May, because this isn't going to be easy," said Flor competitively.

"I was gonna say the same for you," smiled May determinedly.

"We'll see about that," she replied.

"Yes, we will," agreed May.

They ate in silence for a few minutes before Flor asked, "So, Drew, I was wondering, are you ever planning on evolving your Roselia?"

May's ears perked up. Drew answered, "I'm not really sure yet. And even if I did, it'd be hard to get a Shiny Stone in Johto."

"Shiny Stone?" repeated May. "And what will Roselia evolve into?"

"Really, you haven't heard?" asked Flor, astonished. "Well, in Sinnoh, there's a stone that will evolve Roselia into a Roserade."

"Roserade? What's that?" asked May as she took out her Pokédex.

"_No Data,_" said Dextette.

"No data?" she repeated.

"I guess you'll have to get your Pokédex updated," said Flor.

"Yeah, you're right," agreed May. "So, what's a Roserade?"

"Roselia's final evolution. It's mainly unique to the Sinnoh region since the stone is only available there," explained Flor.

"Wow, Flor. You sure know a lot about Grass Pokémon," commented May, amazed.

"What'd you expect?" she asked with a wink.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Wow, May. I never knew that someone so little could eat so much," commented Drew.

"Well, after eating your food, anything tastes good," retorted May, slightly embarrassed even though she gave 'pig out' a new definition.

"Really? I seem to recall that you said otherwise. And I quote, 'This is delicious! You're a really good cook, Drew!'" he mocked, perfect with pitch and tone.

Before May could explode with frustration, Flor asked, "So, May, what kind of battle do you want?"

"You're the one who wanted it. What do you want?" asked May.

"How about a double battle?"

"Sounds good to me. Contest or regular?"

"Regular is good, since you aren't too familiar with the rules," replied Flor.

"Okay," agreed May. "Where?"

"Well, it's a nice day. How about the beach? I know the perfect spot!" she said with a wink.

"Ooh, let's go there then!" agreed May eagerly. She hadn't been to the beach in a while. The ports and docks didn't count however.

"Okay!" she said, leading May and Drew to a secluded cove that wasn't far from where they were.

"Wow, this place is perfect," commented May.

"Yeah. So, are you ready?" asked Flor.

"Yup," she replied.

"All right, I'll be the judge," spoke up Drew. The girls then backed away to opposite sides.

"Bellossom! Sunkern! I choose you!" cried Flor, throwing two Poké balls into the air. A white light came from each of the Poké balls and morphed into their respective shapes.

"Munchlax! Squirtle! You're on!" shouted May, also throwing two Poké balls that turned into a small, blue turtle and a dark blue and cream teddy bear.

"A Normal-type and a Water-type. I should have the advantage against Squirtle but she has to have something up her sleeve," muttered Flor to herself.

"Trainers ready?" asked Drew loudly so the girls could hear. They nodded their heads in response. "All right. Begin!"

"You can go first, May," called Flor.

"You're gonna regret that!" shouted May. "Okay! Munchlax, start off with Metronome! Squirtle, use Rapid Spin on Bellossom!"

"Bellossom, hurry and dodge! Sunkern, use Sunny Day!" countered Flor. In the nick of time, Bellossom dodged Rapid Spin meanwhile Munchlax's wagging fingers began to glow. "Now use Petal Dance!"

Bellossom sent a stream of Petal Dance towards Munchlax but was burned to crisp by Metronome's Fire Spin.

"All right! A Fire Spin! Good job, Munchlax!" said May. "Squirtle, use Bubble on Sunkern!" Squirtle lunged forward and send small blue bubbles to the seed that had just increased to sun's strength.

"Bellossom! Use Solar Beam on Squirtle!" Bellossom began to gather energy, which was fast because of Sunkern's Sunny Day.

"Munchlax, block it with your Solarbeam!" shouted May.

"What the-!?" exclaimed Flor, surprised, but it was too late. Both Solarbeams, equal in power, collided and created a huge explosion, sending a cloud of sand in both directions.

"Bellossom, use your Petal Dance to blow the dust away!" ordered Flor. On cue, Bellossom sent a flurry of shining pink petals all around and caused the sand to blow away.

"Squirtle, hurry and use Ice Beam!" shouted May, once the sand was blown away.

"Ice Beam!?" she repeated loudly, shocked. "So that's why…Hurry and dodge it!" Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough it turned the two Grass Pokémon into ice sculptures.

"Munchlax, hurry and use Focus Punch!" ordered May. At her command, Munchlax's paw began to glow as it charged towards the frozen Pokémon. It broke the ice when it made impact and sent shards of ice everywhere.

Bellossom and Sunkern landed on the ground, completely knocked out.

"Bellossom and Sunkern are unable to battle. May's the winner," announced Drew.

"All right!" cheered May as she went up to her Pokémon. "You guys were so awesome!"

"Munch! Lax!/Squirtle!" cheered both of the Pokémon as they hugged their trainer.

"Good job, you two. I'm proud of you," said Flor to her Pokémon who smiled back at her. After she put them in her Poké balls, she walked over to May, who had just put back her Pokémon, and said, "That's was a great battle, May. You and your Pokémon are really strong."

"Thanks, Flor. That means a lot to me," replied May happily. "Your Pokémon were strong too. It was a really good idea to use Petal Dance to blow away the sand."

"Thanks. But if this was a contest battle, that Ice Beam and Focus Punch combination would've gotten you a lot of points," commented Flor. "Anyways, I should be heading home. I gotta baby-sit for my parents."

"Wait, you live here, Flor?" asked May.

"That's right," she answered. "Well, I hope I see you two in a contest or something. And next time, I won't lose, May."

"We'll see," replied May determinedly.

Flor nodded her head and walked off to a nearby neighborhood.

"Looks like you got yourself a new rival," commented Drew.

"Jealous?" asked May.

"Of what?" he asked.

"You might not be my number one anymore," replied May teasingly.

"Puh-lease, I'll always your number one," said Drew, flicking his hair.

"Yeah, you're right," she agreed laughingly as she looked out to the blue sea for a moment. The she turned around to face him, "So let's practice!"

"Practice?" he repeated.

"I'm not gonna win that ribbon with luck alone!"

Drew stared at her for a second before he nodded his head and replied, "Yeah."

"I'm not going to lose…" she said quietly. _I know that I'm afraid…of getting Eevee hurt again but that's not going to stop me. I can't let myself fall apart, even if it hurts inside. I have to stay strong for my Pokémon. I can't let them down after they've all worked so hard. _"I definitely not going to lose!" she cheered, jumping up and punching the air. _No matter what!_

xoxoxoxoxoxo

Sorry, I've been busy lately, preparing for school and so on. Next chapter will be a bit funnier but shorter. See ya next time.

And contestshippingrules (the user but it does rule), a coordinator is a trainer that shows off Pokemon so technically they are trainers. They were having a real match, not a contest match (I guess I should've specified) and in Chapter 11, Drew specifically states after May says she's just a coordinator, "But you're a trainer first."

But I'm glad you all like the story!


	15. Chapter 15

Happy Halloween! It's no trick, I have a chapter that's a real treat…LOL. Anyways, I'm sooooooooooooo sorry for not updating in forever. I have a gazillion things to do and well, you guys understand how school drains you. I wrote this chapter whenever I had any free time that I didn't use to sleep. Hope you enjoy!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

After spending a day sparring at the beach (nothing romantic, unfortunately ), May and Drew retired to their small room in the Pokémon Center, deciding to head to New Bark Town the next day so they wouldn't have to camp out if they left that evening.

They awoke early the next day, showered, ate and walked out of the pleasant, small town of Cherrygrove and into the wilderness that was Route 29. Pidgeotto flew into the thick trees with Caterpie in their beaks to feed to their young, Pidgey. Rattata scurried about as Spinerak hung from branches and Heracross hungrily sucked onto the sap of trees.

May yawned loudly as she stretched her arms and commented, "What a great day!"

"Yeah, it is," agreed Drew.

"All we have to do is drop off this stuff to Professor Elm and we'll be back in no time!" added May, holding up the Poké ball designed disc case.

"Are you sure you should be playing with that? It's important, remember?" asked Drew.

"I'm not playing with it, I'm making sure it's safe," corrected May. "Which it is, I might add!"

"Okay," replied Drew uncertainly. Then they both turned their heads when they heard some rustling.

"Sentret!" squeaked a small, brown Pokémon, popping out of the bushes.

"It's a Sentret," said Drew, stating the obvious.

"A Sentret, huh?" asked May as she took out her Pokédex.

"_Sentret, the Scout Pokémon. These Normal-type Pokémon take turns standing guard on its tail when it is time to sleep. The Sentret awakens the others if it senses danger. If one becomes separated, it turns sleepless with fear." _said Dextette in her artificial voice.

Sentret sat on its brown and black striped tail, smiling up at May with bright, brown eyes.

"Aw, it's so cute," squealed May, getting down on her knees to get a closer look. She petted it on the head, its soft fur almost penetrating through her glove. "Don't you think so, Drew?" asked May, turning her head to face him.

"May!" exclaimed Drew. "Look!"

"Huh?" she asked, surprised and turned to find Sentret playing with the disc in its furry, little paws. She gasped and requested softly, as to startle Sentret, "Sentret…can you please give that back? It's very important to me."

Sentret smiled up at her innocently before running off quickly, the disc in its mouth. May, trembling, shrieked, "Get back here right now!" But of course, the wild Pokémon merely kept on running.

Turning back to Drew with wide eyes, she began to hyperventilate. "Oh, no…I'm in so much trouble…Professor Oak will be so mad at me…I'll never be able to show my face in public…I'll never be able to be a top coordinator…I'll never-"

Drew shoved her gently and said, "Knock it off, May. Just calm down and think rationally."

"Okay," she replied, taking a deep breath and then releasing it slowly. "What do we do first?"

Taking out two Poké balls, Drew called out, "Go, Flygon, Masquerain!" The two, Flying Pokémon, a dragon and a moth, appeared in front of their trainer. Turning to May, Drew said, "Let out two of your Pokémon so they could go look in teams from the sky while we look for it on foot."

"Right," replied May with a nod of her head. "Squirtle, Munchlax, come out!"

The petite turtle, Squirtle and sleeping Pokémon, Munchlax emerged from their Poké balls.

"All right, you guys. We need you go to with Masquerain and Flygon and find a Sentret that stole Professor Oak's disc," explained May.

"Munchlax can go with Flygon and search north while Masquerain and Squirtle can search south. Me and you will look east and west," said Drew, taking charge. Munchlax and Squirtle cheered as they got on their respective Pokémon and took off. "Come back in a few hours unless you find it!"

"Be careful!" shouted May as well.

"All right, May, let out your other Pokémon and search around the east and I'll head west with mine," suggested Drew. "We'll meet back in a few hours."

"Okay," she agreed. May and Drew let out the rest of their Pokémon: Blaziken, Eevee, Roselia and Absol, and headed their separate ways.

xoxoxoxoxo

"Blaziken, any sign of it?" asked May as she looked behind the bushes.

"Blaze, blaze," replied the large, fire chicken, shaking it's head 'no'.

May frowned and then asked, "What about you, Eevee?"

"Ee Vee," it said, shaking its head as well.

"I hope Drew's having more luck than I am…" sighed May. It had been about twenty minutes since she had split up with Drew. And so far, things weren't looking so good.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Roselia, Absol, any luck?" asked Drew.

The two Pokémon shook their heads sadly.

"Just great," said Drew to himself sarcastically. "I just hope May's having better luck than I am…" he sighed, his hands on his hips as he looked up to the blue sky that reminded him of May's eyes. They just had to find it.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

The aerial search wasn't going so well either. Both groups couldn't find a single Sentret so of course they didn't find the little thief. But they didn't give up. The quartet knew their trainers would be disappointed if they didn't find it and they couldn't have that.

xoxoxoxoxoxo

"Did you spot it, Drew?" asked May as soon as Drew arrived to their meeting place. She was sitting on a boulder, resting from the tedious hours of searching.

"Nope," he replied, nodding his green-haired head. "I guess this means you didn't find it either."

"No," she sighed, putting her hands on her face and then pushing back her brown hair. "What am I going to do now?"

"I dunno but we'll figure something out," reassured Drew.

"We?" asked May, bewildered.

"'Stick together', remember," he reminded with a sly smile.

"Yeah," said May. Jumping up from the boulder, she added, "We'll definitely think of something. Thanks!"

"Yeah, well," replied Drew with the flip of his hair.

"Fly!/Munch!" called Flygon and Munchlax in unison as they landed in front of their trainers.

"Anything, you two?" asked May hopefully.

They nodded their heads 'no' just as Squirtle and Munchlax arrived. She asked them but received the same answer, 'no'.

May sighed and said slightly optimistically, "Well, we better keep searching."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Okay, we've been at this all day, May. I hate to say it, but I think it's gone for good," Drew said, looking up at the colorful sky.

May quickly protested. "No, we have to keep searching. We just have to…we have to…" She paused when Drew put his hand on her shoulder and nodded his head slowly, his green locks swaying.

"We're just going to have to go to New Bark Town and explain the situation, May. Besides, we've tried the best we could. I'm sure Professor Oak still has a backup file or something," reasoned Drew.

May was going to object but when Drew tightened the grip on her shoulder, she realized he was right. "Okay…"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

As they headed away from the sunset and towards the darkness closer to New Bark Town, May was turning her head every few minutes.

"Why do you keep looking back?" Drew asked.

"Just in case," she replied.

"May-" he began until he stopped when he began to hear faint, high-pitched noises.

"Did you hear that?" May asked.

"Yeah, it sounds like…whimpering," Drew concluded, his green eyebrows scrunched together in concentration.

"Where's it coming from?" May asked.

"That's what I'm trying to find out," Drew replied as he continued to listen.

"I know! Eevee's good at hide-and-seek!" May suggested, as she took a Poké ball from her pouch and enlarged it before releasing the furry, brown Pokémon.

"Eevee!" it said, sitting obediently at its trainer's heels.

"Eevee, can you find out where the whimpering is coming from?"

"Eevee!" it agreed. Eevee closed its violet eyes and perked up its large, brown ears. After a couple of seconds, it cried out its name excitedly and began to run away from May and Drew, beckoning for them to follow.

"Let's go!" May said as she hurried after her Pokémon protectively, Drew following behind her.

In a few minutes, Eevee stopped in front of a large tree and looked up into the branches while May and Drew caught up.

"Hey, it's louder now," noticed May.

"It's because we're closer to it now," explained Drew. Looking up at the branches, Drew asked Eevee, "Is it coming from there?"

"Eevee!" it answered enthusiastically, an obvious 'yes'.

"All right. Thanks, Eevee," smiled May, as she kneeled down and petted it's brown head before returning it to its Poké ball. Turning to Drew, she asked, "What do you think it is?"

"That's what I'm about to find out," Drew said as he took off his purple shirt, leaving only his turtleneck on. Grabbing hold of a steady branch, Drew began to hoist himself up while May held in her breath from the bottom, her hands to her chest. He continued as the whining persisted.

When he stopped, May asked, "Did you find something?"

"Do you want the good news first?" called Drew as he sat down comfortably on a branch.

"Sure!"

Once he was sure he wasn't going to fall, Drew held up a familiar case for May to see.

"The disc!" May squealed uncontrollably in excitement before stopping. "But where was the whimpering coming from."

Drew frowned as he put the disc safely in his pocket. "That's the bad news, May. I think the Sentret's hurt or something."

"What? How do you know?"

"I got the disc and if it were healthy, it would've tried to have gotten back but it hasn't."

"Can't you try to get it? Maybe we can help it!"

"Every time I try to get closer, it backs away or whips me with its tail," said Drew. After a second of thought, he said, "Maybe you can try to get it, May."

"Huh? Why me?"

"It seemed to have liked you at first, since it let you pet it," explained Drew. Then he murmured quietly, "And your sweetness will probably get it to come too."

"Wha-choooooooo!" she sneezed. After a quick recovery, May asked again, "What'd you say?"

"Nothing, just hurry up and get up here!"

"Okay!" In a similar manner as Drew, May began to push her petite body up and Drew helped her sit on the branch, closer to the Sentret that was in a hollow hole in the tree. Sentret's glare softened when it saw May.

"What's wrong, Sentret?" asked May softly, hunching over so she wouldn't look like a threat. May carefully and slowly stretched out her hand and began to rub Sentret behind the ears. It stiffened and then relaxed as it dug its head into her hand softly. "Are you hurt?" In response, Sentret licked its back foot as it whined. "Sentret, come with me and Drew and we'll make you feel better, I promise." Sentret looked into May's blue eyes hesitantly, not the knowing whether to trust human until May smiled warmly for the skeptical creature. Carefully, Sentret got close enough for May to carry and May picked it up and held it against her. She smiled at Drew in success before she realized something important. "Uh, Drew, how are we going to get down?"

"Crap, I didn't think of that…" Drew looked down. They were about eight feet high but that wasn't a safe distance to jump. He looked back at May and then at the ground again. All of their stuff was at the bottom so their Pokémon couldn't help them out. "I got an idea."

"What?" May asked, still clutching the injured Sentret towards her.

As he stood up carefully, he said as if it were normal, "You're going to fall."

"What!?" May shrieked. "Are you crazy? That's dangerous!"

"I'll be there to catch you," Drew explained, a little more thoroughly. "You do trust me, don't you?"

"…well, yeah…but…" she stuttered.

"Don't worry," Drew reassured her as he began to climb down the tree in under a few minutes.

"Couldn't you just Flygon or something?" May asked once he was underneath her. She knew she was being selfish but she didn't want to risk anyone's health.

"It's been flying around all day so it's worn out. I don't wanna tire it out more," he replied. Drew put his arms in front of him, directly under May, and said, "Ready when you are."

May sat still before she began to laugh nervously and asked stupidly, "How do I fall?"

Drew felt beads of perspiration roll down his neck in disbelief. But he did understand what she meant. Usually, people don't fall on purpose. "Just loosen up a little bit and let go. Don't concentrate on anything, don't think, just let go."

Taking in a deep breath, May closed her eyes and held onto Sentret as she did as told and slid off the branch.

Gravity worked its magic a little to well and in less than a second, she landed. May opened her eyes to find herself lying on top of Drew. Thankfully, she hadn't landed face first and from an aerial view, they formed a "T". May quickly rolled off him gently and giggled as she lied on the soft grass next to Drew. "Can we do that again?" May asked jokingly.

"No," Drew replied, exasperated but it didn't take him long to laugh but then he remembered why they were in that predicament. Dusting himself as he sat up, Drew asked, "So, what's wrong with Sentret?" 

Sitting up as well, May examined the foot Sentret had been licking and whimpering about. She saw a gash, about an inch long, concealed within the thick fur. "It has a cut on its leg."

"I guess when it was making its getaway, it must've gotten hurt," Drew concluded as he gathered bandages and Super Potion from his backpack.

May took Sentret in her arms and as she was preparing to give it to Drew, it squirmed and went back to her lap.

"I don't think it wants to come with me," Drew said dully, stating the obvious.

May laughed as she picked up Sentret and held it against her. As she rubbed its large ears, May whispered, "Go with Drew. He'll make you feel better. I know that he looks weird and a little creepy (Drew glared May) but he's really nice deep down (Drew smirked)."

"Sentret!" it replied enthusiastically and hopped over to Drew.

Drew warned, "All right, it'll be sting a little but you're a tough one, aren't you?"

"Sentret!" it said, bracing itself. It didn't take long for Drew to clean the cut and bandage it.

"Yay, you're all better now!" cheered May as she hugged the Sentret affectionately.

"Sentret! Sentret!" it agreed.

After a moment of thought, she asked, "Hey Sentret, do you want to come with us?"

"Sentret?"

"You wanna take it with you?" asked Drew.

"Why not?" she replied. "How about it, Sentret?"

Sentret jumped in front of her and tried to explain, "Sentret, Sentret, Sentret!"

"I think it's saying that it wants to go…but its home and family is here," concluded Drew.

"Sentret…" it confirmed sadly.

"Oh…" said May sadly but trying to put on a smile so neither Drew nor Sentret could see her true feelings. "You're right; you do belong here. Well, we wasted enough time here so we better get going." She petted Sentret's head one last time and began to walk ahead.

"Sentret…"

Drew patted its head. "Don't worry about her, Sentret. May'll be okay, she's just a little sad but she'll definitely be all right. Nothing can get her down for long."

Sentret bounced on its tail, trying to say something to Drew. He blushed lightly but he quickly recovered. "Yeah, you don't need to tell me twice," he replied. As he stood up, Drew said, "Well, we have to get going. Take care of yourself, Sentret. And try to stay out of trouble."

"Sentret!" it agreed.

"All right, later," he replied as he walked after May, who was still depressed.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Hey, cheer up," said Drew when he caught up with May.

"I'll be okay," she replied quietly.

"Sentret!" cried the Pokémon, running quickly on all fours towards the duo.

"Sentret!" exclaimed May, her frown melting into a huge smile.

"Sentret!" it said as it held up a small, pink flower for May.

Drew playfully muttered, "Hey, that's my thing."

May laughed as she said, "Thanks, Sentret."

"Well, we better get going or we won't make it to New Bark Town by tomorrow morning," said Drew.

"Yeah…well, I guess this is good-bye, Sentret," said May, smiling sadly.

"Sentret!" it said enthusiastically.

"I think it's saying 'not for long'," said Drew.

"Yeah!" agreed May after a moment. "We'll definitely meet again!"

"Sentret!"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Yeah, this was err…interesting. Just a filler. It's because in every region, May befriends a Pokémon she can't catch. Swablu in Hoenn and Manaphy in Kanto. Oh, and that part where May sneezes. You know that Japanese saying, if you sneeze; someone's talking about you. Yeah, just wanted to clarify. This chapter could have been better (more description and stuff) but I was busy/lazy so don't be breathing down my neck about it.


	16. Chapter 16

New chapter. Damn, since Halloween. I feel bad : (

But I'm a busy person so don't be too mad. I have nothing to do this summer (_Breaking Dawn_ doesn't come out until Aug. 2!). Anyways, please enjoy and sorry for the long wait.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Hey, Drew, check it out!" May called as she stood on a cliff that overlooked a sleeping New Bark Town. It took them all night, but at last, they finally made it. As the dense fog began to subside and the sun rose from its slumber, a fresh breeze combed through May's brown hair as sighed dreamily.

"Where winds of a new beginning blow," Drew said as he walked next to her to admire the view as well.

"New Bark Town," she said, tightening her fists in excitement. "We're finally here!"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo (LOL, insert opening here)

"Is this it?" May asked as she and Drew stood in front of a huge lavender building with a red roof top. The property it was on was even bigger in comparison. The grass must have stretched out for miles for the red fence that bordered the building was hard to see all the way in the back.

"I think so…That lady did say it was just north of the town," Drew replied, as he eyed the building curiously.

"There's only one way to be sure!" May declared as she ran under a red arch that connected the break in the red fence and headed to a door. Drew followed but not as quickly. She knocked on the door and patiently waited for it to be answered as Drew walked next to her and waited as well.

The wooden door opened to reveal a timid looking man in his late-twenties or early-thirties. The man had dark brown hair that was slightly spiked up in the middle and he wore a white lab coat over his blue and green striped polo shirt. He slipped his thin, black-framed glasses up his nose as he examined the two visitors.

"Are you two here to pick up your first Pokémon? You were supposed to come next week," replied the man, assuming they were new trainers. Apparently, he wasn't well informed about the Contest world.

May spoke up and corrected him. "No, uh, I'm here because I have something for you. Professor Oak asked me to bring you a disc…"

"Oh! You must be May! I wasn't expecting you to come so soon," he exclaimed, suddenly enthusiastic. "I'm Professor Elm, by the way, but I'm sure you know that." He shook May's hand as she smiled politely and he laid his eyes on Drew, slightly confused. "I thought Professor Oak was just sending you."

"Yeah, he did but he offered to tag along since we had time before the Contest in Goldenrod and it'd be a good time to train in various places," explained May.

Drew stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "I'm Drew. It's nice to meet you, Professor Elm."

Professor Elm took it and shook it as he said, "Thank you. It's nice to meet you, too."

All three of them stood there awkwardly for a minute before Professor Elm spoke up and said, "Well, I'm sure Professor Oak would be eager to know if you've arrived so please, come in."

"Thanks," May replied, spokesperson for herself and Drew, as both of them followed Professor Elm into the laboratory.

"So, you two are Coordinators?" Professor Elm asked as they all walked through the dull white, empty corridor, a closed door here and there.

"Yes, that's right," May answered, though slightly disappointed he hadn't heard of her, or even Drew. "Do you watch Contests?"

"No, unfortunately. I have a lot of work to do but I do watch occasionally. One of trainers that I gave her first Pokémon to is a Coordinator. A Top Coordinator, actually. She's up in Sinnoh right now, promoting the Pokétch." They walked through sliding doors into a lobby-like room. It had two, glass doors that led outside, into the fluffy green grass and trees.

May's eyes widened. "Wow, a Top Coordinator…"

"I don't mean to be rude," started Professor Elm, snapping May out of her daydream, "but I do need the disc."

"Oh, yes, of course!" May agreed as she fumbled through her pouch. Her thin eyebrows furrowed in concentration as she dug but couldn't find the Poké ball shaped disc case that held the confidential information Professor Oak had entrusted to May. "Where is it?" she asked to no one in particular. As she was about to reach for her black backpack, Drew, who had a familiar smirk on his face, interrupted her.

"May, don't you remember? I have it, especially after that little incident with Sentret," Drew reminded her, as he reached down deep into one of his pockets of his sea green pants and pulled out the case. He promptly handed to Professor Elm, who took it gratefully.

"I can't thank you two enough," Professor Elm said. "Traveling all the way from Hoenn, just to deliver this."

"It was no problem, really," May insisted though she couldn't help but smile.

"Either way, please, have a look around the lab. Why don't you call Professor Oak to tell him you've arrived while I go to a quick look at this," Professor Elm suggested, holding up the disc case. "The phone is right over there by the counter, next to the refrigerator. Speaking of which, I'm sure you two must be hungry. Please, feel free to make yourselves at home."

And with that, the man practically skipped out of the room, the sliding doors closing behind him, leaving the two coordinators sitting on a stiff green couch. They had taken off their backpacks and put them on the table.

"Well, I'm gonna call Professor Oak and tell him we've arrived," May said as she rose up from the stiff green sofa and walked up to the green phone with the screen. She dialed Professor Oak's number and wasn't too surprised to see Ash's Muk all over a disheveled Professor Oak. "Hi, Professor," May greeted, slightly amused. "Guess where I'm calling from?" She didn't even give him a chance to answer as she spilled the beans. "I'm in Professor Elm's lab. We made it to New Bark Town!"

"Wow, that's quite amazing to get there so quickly," Professor Oak complimented. "Where is Professor Elm?"

"He went to go check out the disc. He was really eager to check it out."

"Ha, that sounds like something he'd do. It might take him a while. Tell him to give me a call back later, please. I'd like to discuss the theories with him."

"Sure thing, Professor!"

"Thank you, May. Well, I need to get going now. The Pokémon aren't going to feed themselves."

"Okay, Professor. Good-bye!"

"Bye, May. And thank you again for doing this. And Drew too, of course."

"…Yeah," May replied after a longer-than-necessary pause. Her stomach did a flip when she remembered why Drew had agreed to come along in the first place. She recovered quickly. "Well, bye!"

"Bye." Then the screen went black, Professor Oak's face disappearing into an abyss. She sighed and smiled halfheartedly at Drew, who was looking at her.

"So, what do we do now?" asked Drew.

As May was about to open her mouth, the sliding doors opened as three small Pokémon ran through them. One was slightly animal-like, with four legs and a short tail but it had a green leaf on the top of its head, identifying it as a Grass-type. Many green buds were placed around its neck, almost like a collar. The second was a dull yellow with a royal blue streak that ran from its snout down to its back. On its back were four spots of a red. The last Pokémon, which seemed to be the troublemaker of the trio, was similar to a small crocodile. It was blue, except for a yellow band on its chest. It had three large, red spikes on its back and one on the tip of its tail, with two vertical stripes on opposite sides of the back spikes. Its pearly white, sharp teeth looked menacing.

The crocodile Pokémon didn't seem to notice the Coordinators as it launched a Water Gun at the other two. The Grass-type stepped in front of the yellow and blue Pokémon that was now curled up in a ball.

"Chiko! Chiko!" it said angrily as the crocodile laughed hysterically. Then the Grass-type sent two leaves flying towards the crocodile.

"Totototototo!" protested the crocodile. They glared at each other for a long minute until Professor Elm rushed into the room.

"Chikorita, Totodile, behave yourselves!" scolded the Professor. He then picked up the frightened one and asked softly, "Are you alright, Cyndaquil?"

"Cynda!" it said cheerily, glad the fighting had ceased. It jumped down and landed gracefully next to Chikorita, who was next to Totodile.

Professor Elm apologized to the confused Coordinators. "Sorry about that. I was just letting them out so they could eat before I got started and forget about them but they started to play a little roughly. These three are a handful."

"It's okay, Professor," said May as she kneeled down in front of Chikorita. "Wow, I've never seen the Johto starters up close. They're so cute!" Chikorita took an immediately liking to May as it jumped up to her lap. May inhaled the floral scent that came from Chikorita's leaf. Then, May looked as if a light bulb had gone off over her head.

"Yes, they are, aren't they?" asked Elm rhetorically. "That's Chikorita," he said, pointing at the Grass-type.

May pulled out her Poké Dex for more information. Dexette, in her artificial voice, said, "_Chikorita: The Leaf Pokémon. In battle, Chikorita waves its leaf around to keep the foe at bay. However, a sweet fragrance also wafts from the leaf, becalming the battling Pokémon and creating a cozy, friendly atmosphere all around. It also uses the leaf on its head to determine the temperature and humidity. It loves to sunbathe._"

'Cool,' May thought as Professor Elm moved on.

"This is Cyndaquil." He pointed to the timid Fire-type next to Chikorita.

"_Cyndaquil: The Fire Mouse Pokémon. It flares flames from its back to protect itself. The fire burns vigorously if the Pokémon is angry. When it is tired, it sputters with incomplete combustion. It is timid, and always curls itself up in a ball._"

'Sweet,' she commented in her head. 'And cute.'

"And last but certainly not least, Totodile."

"_Despite its small body, Totodile's jaws are very powerful. While it may think it is just playfully nipping, its bite has enough strength to cause serious injury._"

May's eyes widened in surprise. 'I better be careful with this one.' No doubt it would be a fierce opponent one day.

After pausing to think something over, she asked, "Hey, Professor, can I play with them? That way, you can work without any distractions." The three Pokémon looked at the Professor hopefully. They were eager for a new friend to play with, especially since the young Professor often got distracted by his never-ending work.

"I don't see why not…Sure. You can play with them outside in the field. They love it there," he suggested with a kind smile. These children were like saints to him now. Not only had they brought him the disc, but they were also offering to take care of the rowdy Pokémon for a while so he could work.

"Thanks, Professor!" May said excitedly as she gestured to Drew to come over. Though the Professor could not see, May could tell Drew was bored out of his mind.

"No, thank you, May! Well, I'm off!"

As he was about to leave through the sliding doors, May looked down at her hands and remembered something very important she had to do. "Wait, Professor!"

Just in time, the Professor turned around. "What is it, May?"

Running up to him, she held out her trusty, red Pokédex. "Can you please upgrade my Pokédex for me?" she asked politely, half bowing.

"Oh. Yes, of course," he said, taking the Pokédex from May.

"Really? Thank you very much!" she said excitedly.

"It's no trouble. It's the least I can do," he reassured with a smile. And with that, Professor Elm left hurriedly, the same as last time.

Walking back to Drew and the three small Pokémon, she grinned ear to ear. "So, c'mon, let's go outside!"

Chikorita, obviously the leader of the bunch, led the way through the sliding glass doors that led to the green pasture outside. Cyndaquil loyally followed and May figured he was the baby of the group. Totodile rushed ahead of the sunbathing Chikorita. He jumped into a small but adequate man-made pond specifically for Water-type Pokémon. The resulting splash sent Cyndaquil running towards May and Drew. It jumped onto the nearest coordinator: Drew.

With quick reflexes, he caught the Fire-type Pokémon. "Hey, it's okay," cooed Drew to the frightened Pokémon. May was surprised about how caring Drew was with him. She still remembered how he had been yelling at Absol in the last Grand Festival. May had been horrified then but she knew now that he expected a lot from his Pokémon. While Totodile laughed his big head off, Drew said repeated quietly, "It's okay."

"Chiko! Chiko!" exclaimed Chikorita, running up to the coordinators.

Kneeling down, May told the worried Chikorita, "Cyndaquil's all right, Chikorita. He was just a little startled by the water."

Drew let down Cyndaquil so he could be with Chikorita. Using one of her vines as a hand, she patted Cyndaquil on the head in a caring way.

"Aw, Chikorita's so sweet!" commented May as she and Drew walked over to a huge Oak tree. They sat down next to each other in the shade of the tree, protecting them from the blazing sun.

May closed her blue eyes and leaned against the rough bark. There was nothing like the great outdoors.

While May daydreamed, Drew observed all three Pokémon. They all had very different personalities. Chikorita was a natural born leader, as well as stubborn. But it had a good heart and was a good helper. Totodile was a jokester, a rebel. He was dangerous and he it. And Cyndaquil was quiet and timid. Perhaps he was the strong, silent type. Drew pondered on that until a heard May stand up. He looked up at her, a brow raised questioningly.

"It's time for Munchlax's snack," she reminded.

Drew inwardly groaned and nodded. Even though all of them, humans and Pokémon, had eaten a really breakfast just an hour ago, before reaching New Bark Town, Munchlax always ate an hour after every meal. It was as if his stomach was a never-ending pit. It was sort of a hassle on their wallets.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"There you go, Munchlax," May said, as she put a bowl full of a Poké Chow in front of the hungry blue and yellow teddy bear-like Pokémon. Most Munchlax ate their own weight of food each DAY. May couldn't imagine having to carry 231 pounds of food. Her Munchlax was hungry but never that hungry. May was grateful for that.

"Munch!" he exclaimed happily as he quickly gobbled it up in seconds. May didn't think he even chewed, just swallowed. He was really hungry. No surprise there.

"Maybe I should give you just one more bowlful," suggested May with a nervous chuckle. She filled up the bowl and then told him firmly, before he started to eat, "When you finish, me and Drew are gonna be outside playing with three Pokémon. You can either join us or take a nap here. But please, don't make a mess. We're Professor Elm's guests."

"Munchlax!" he agreed as he began to eat, a little slower than a few minutes ago. May swore that its appetite grew more and more each day.

"Bye, Munchlax. Behave!" she reminded as she walked back outside, to where Drew was still sitting, watching the Pokémon playing in the pond. She saw Chikorita and Totodile splashing each other playfully. They were acting as if they hadn't been fighting earlier. Then she wondered, 'Where's Cyndaquil?'

She walked over to Drew. "Drew-"

He cut her off when he shushed her softly. Next to him was a blue and yellow ball. Cyndaquil. It was sleeping soundly next to Drew. He didn't seem to mind.

May sat down on the opposite side of Cyndaquil, next to Drew, her knees close to her chest. She crossed her arms and put on the tops of her knees. She didn't say anything; her question had been answered. Instead, she watched Chikorita and Totodile, playing the Pokémon form of "Marco Polo". When Chikorita's turn of being 'Marco' was over, she noticed that May was back.

Chikorita ran excitedly towards her, despite the protests of Totodile. Standing at her feet, Chikorita used one of her whips and took hold of May's wrists, offering for her to play with her and Totodile. May smiled and she stood, wordlessly accepting.

She was about to invite Drew when all of a sudden a huge explosion shook the quiet environment. Drew immediately stood up and both May and Drew quickly turned their heads in the direction of the explosion. It was obvious as there was a black smoke surrounding the pond.

"Chiko! Chiko!" Chikorita said, trying to get May's help. Totodile was in trouble.

Cyndaquil had been awakened through all the commotion and looked worried as it saw the smoky pond.

"Totototototototo!"

They heard Totodile's protests behind the thick curtain of smoke. May and Drew's eyes connected, both silently agreeing to go check it out.

As they ran forward, they heard a woman cackling and a man's voice saying, "I wouldn't move if I were you." The smoke soon cleared and there stood a black van, the back facing towards them. Standing in front of the back of the van were the culprits, a man and woman dressed in black with a large spider Pokémon next to the man. Even from the distance of about 15 feet, May recognized the Pokémon as an Ariados. Then they saw a wiggling blue form struggling under the grasp of the man. Its jaw was shut tight by what May guessed was Ariados' String Shot. Totodile also had it across his chest so its Scratch attack wouldn't be any trouble. The woman opened the two back doors of the van, revealing many empty cages.

The man had spiky blue hair and wore a black T-shirt and jeans with red tennis shoes. The woman had long, wavy pink hair with a red flower in her hair. She wore a black tank top and black miniskirt with red flats. After safely putting Totodile into a cage, the couple turned around to face them. May then saw the purpose of the red shoes. On their shirts was a familiar symbol. And it wasn't the good type of familiar. It was a large, red 'R'.

"You're Team Rocket!" May exclaimed in horror. She instinctively reached for her Poké balls only to realize they were in her fanny pack that was inside with her and Drew's backpacks. She cursed mentally when she remembered that Drew had put his Poké balls in his backpack as well. There was no time to run back inside and get them.

"You're supposed to say that after we introduce ourselves, honey," said the woman in a sickeningly sweet way. She posed. "Wherever there may be trouble…"

The man posed next her, a mirror image of her pose. "We'll be there to make it double."

"Causing the world devastation."

"And creating hatred among the nation."

"We're nobody to hate; only love."

"Or else you'll be sent to the stars above."

"Allison."

"And Clay."

"Fear us or we'll be there at the speed of light."

"Team Rocket's here so prepare to fight!"

Then, in unison, back-to-back with their arms crossed, they said, "That's right!"

The man, know known as Clay called over to the shocked May and Drew, who were standing in front of Chikorita and Cyndaquil, respectively. "Now, hand them over and nobody gets hurt!"

"No way! We know what Team Rocket does to the Pokémon they capture! We'll never give in to the likes of you!" shouted May angrily. Then, she whispered to Drew and the Pokémon, "Guys, we have to fight back."

Chikorita and Cyndaquil looked somewhere between scared and reluctant.

Drew added, "It's the only way we can save Totodile." At the mention of Totodile, determination flared in their eyes as they agreed to help.

"Would you two quit jabbering and tell them to come over here!" shouted Allison impatiently.

May could tell that she loved fashion and smirked as she came up with a plan. "I'm sorry, we're just talking about how ugly your outfits are. I mean, even the Team Rocket uniforms look better than that!"

Allison's jaw dropped in disbelief as she tried to think of a comeback. "What do you know about fashion, little girl?"

"Gah, why does everyone keep calling me a little girl! Well…then if I'm a little girl, then you must an old hag!"

"How dare you! An ugly, vile creature like you!"

"Takes one to know one!"

As May and Allison threw insults at one another, Chikorita walked around the bushes that surrounded the field.

Irritated, Allison took out a Poké ball. "Come out, Gloom!" The Poké ball revealed a violet Pokémon with a drooling problem. It had a brownish flower bud with white spots on its head with orange curls under it.

"Allison! What do you think you're doing?" asked Clay after seeing his partner release her Pokémon.

"Just a little Stun Spore. Won't hurt anyone…too much," she explained with a smile.

Clay nodded his head in disapproval. "You heard what the Boss said, Allie. He wants the Pokémon in good condition. They're young but really strong. That's why he wants them."

"Oh, come on!" pouted Allison. They had obviously forgotten about May, Drew and the two remaining Pokémon. Chikorita emerged from the bushes. Using Vine Whip, she quietly unlocked the door.

"No, Allison. You know how important this is to me. Or what? Do you want to go back to the way things were? Everything forbidden!"

She took in what Clay said. He was right. But she was too stubborn to admit it. "…No, I don't want to go back home…But can just buy some sort of antidote." She was trying her best to persuade him. "And after we drop them off, we could maybe go out on a picnic. I mean, it's a sunny day and all."

"GLOOOOOM!" All of a sudden, the sunlight got even brighter.

"Oh, no. Gloom misunderstood when I said Sunny Day," groaned Allison. Then she remembered why they were there in the first place. Clay and Allison looked inside the van to find that Chikorita was using Razor Leaf to free Totodile of the String Shot that had previously rendered it defenseless.

"Chikorita, hurry and get Totodile out of there," shouted May.

"There's no time!" panicked Drew. The only way to save Chikorita and Totodile was to distract Team Rocket. And he knew just how to do it. "Cyndaquil, wanna help me out?"

"Cynda!" he agreed determinedly, jumping in front of Drew. Suddenly, the four red spots on its back unleashed a steady blaze, indicating it was ready for battle.

"All right, Cyndaquil, use Flame Wheel on Gloom!" commanded Drew as Clay quickly closed the doors. He called for Ariados and told him to keep watch as he joined Allison on the makeshift battlefield a few feet away from the van.

As the fire on its back grew, Cyndaquil rolled up into a ball and started rolling like a tire on fire towards Gloom. He collided into Gloom. A direct hit!

"All right, Ariados, String Shot!" commanded Clay, suddenly getting involved into the battle. Ariados quickly crawled to Clay and sent a silky thread towards Cyndaquil.

"Use Quick Attack to dodge!" ordered Drew. Cyndaquil did as told and collided into Ariados. "Ember!"

A super effective move up close was worth a lot of damage. Ariados looked like it couldn't handle any more and Clay retired his Pokémon.

Allison glared angrily. One baby Pokémon injured both of their Pokémon. Luckily, Gloom had a bit more energy left than Ariados had at the moment. "Bullet Seed, Gloom!"

Still slightly dazed from the earlier Flame Wheel, Gloom only managed to hit Cyndaquil a few times. It didn't matter much anyways, since Grass-type moves aren't very effective against Fire-type moves.

"In your old, wrinkly face, Grandma!" taunted May, pulling down her bottom eyelid and sticking out her tongue.

Allison was trembling in anger. Nobody called her wrinkly, much less old. Clay was worried. Allison being quiet was never good. "I'm not gonna tolerate this! Gloom, Solar Beam!"

Thanks to the earlier Sunny Day, it didn't take Gloom a lot of time to launch bright, beam of light. Drew was about to tell Cyndaquil to dodge when he realized that it wasn't going towards Cyndaquil, but towards May.

"May!" shouted Drew as tackled her to the ground and covered her body with his. Though he tightly shut his eyes, he could still see a blinding flash of light coming towards them, followed by an explosion.

"What the-" he began as he and May opened their eyes.

"Munchlax!" cried May happily as she saw her Pokémon in front of them, ready to fight.

"Man, that Munchlax knows Solar Beam too," muttered Clay, gritting his teeth in frustration.

As semi-awkwardly May untangled herself from Drew, she ordered, "Munchlax, use Metronome!"

Munchlax began to wag its two fingers back and forth until they began to glow. Munchlax all of a sudden began to levitate and a purple aura surrounded him.

"Cool. Munchlax is using Psychic!" exclaimed Drew.

"All right! Munchlax, use Psychic to open those doors and get Chikorita and Totodile!" commanded May, excited Metronome had been a success.

Following May's orders, the back doors of the van began to glow purple as they opened, revealing a relieved Chikorita and Totodile, who, within seconds, were enveloped by the same purple aura and began to levitate, involuntarily flying towards May and Drew, not that they objected. They landed smoothly, courtesy of Munchlax. By then, however, the Psychic attack began to wear off and Gloom and Ariados were somehow back on their feet.

"Okay, guys, let's finish this up. Munchlax, when I tell you, use Solar Beam. Chikorita, Razor Leaf. Totodile, Water Gun." May looked at Drew, wondering if he understood what she was up to.

He smirked and nodded as he told Cyndaquil, "Use Ember when May says so." She smiled as she took in a deep breath.

"GO!" she exclaimed, raising her arm, unleashing a powerful attack. May's signature move that she borrowed from the Frontier Brain, Tucker, worked as plan. Ember and Water Gun were creating electric sparks and added with the Razor Leaf and Solar Beam, it was the ultimate attack of the elements. That was too much for Gloom and Ariados and they were knocked out immediately. Luckily, there was enough to go around and the elemental attack hit the van, sending it, the Pokémon and Team Rocket flying into the air.

"YOU'LL BE SORRY YOU EVER MESSED WITH ME!" screamed Allison as they blasted off into the afternoon sky.

May couldn't help feeling somewhat nostalgic. That quickly passed as she jumped and cheered. "Yay! We did it! That was amazing, you guys," she congratulated to all the Pokémon, patting them on the head. You guys are going to be great. Your new trainers will be happy." Chikorita and Cyndaquil looked confused. Not noticing, she hugged her Munchlax. "You were especially amazing, Munchlax. You saved me and everyone else. You're a hero."

She smiled softly at her Pokémon. Suddenly, Munchlax began to shine a bright light all over its body. May let go and stood up, staring with wide eyes as the shape grew taller. And bigger. She knew what was happening but she just couldn't believe it. She wished somebody would pinch her to see if she was dreaming or not.

Munchlax stopped glowing. He had grown nearly 7 feet and gained God knows how many pounds. May realized that it wasn't her Munchlax anymore. He had evolved into Snorlax. He looked like a super-sized version of Munchlax, but with a lighter face and belly.

"Mu-, I mean, Snorlax! You evolved!" squealed May excitedly.

"Snore…," he agreed sleepily as he began to shift back and forth dangerously.

"Uh-oh," she squeaked before she screamed at everyone else, "Run!"

Everyone scrambled as Snorlax finally fell face down, creating small tremors, and dozed off.

"Wow, May. That's, um, amazing," commented Drew as they both stared at the sleeping and newly-evolved Snorlax. "Congratulations." As May began to open her mouth and thank him, he continued. "Now you have to carry around 900 pounds of food. Every day. Good luck."

She glared even though he was most likely right. "You better help or else," she muttered darkly.

Drew laughed nervously, not knowing if she was kidding or not. He'd seen her at her best; he'd seen her at her worst. And just a week ago, he'd seen her at her most vulnerable moment. But he was still learning about her as she was with him.

"Well," she said, smiling brightly all of a sudden, "Let's go inside and eat lunch. And I need to get his Poké ball. I hope he still fits." She grinned. It turns out that he did still fit. It didn't surprise May though, as Poké balls were made for every single Pokémon, big or small. She had just been joking earlier.

About an hour later of hanging inside and eating some leftover sandwiches from breakfast and the Pokémon with Poké Chow, Professor Elm walked into the room, tired from reading everything on the disc but still very excited. He found May and Drew asleep on the couch, Drew with his head back and arms crossed and May with her head on his shoulder. On the loveseat were Chikorita, Cyndaquil and Totodile, also asleep.

'They must've really worn themselves out playing,' thought the Professor innocently. If only he knew. Deciding to leave them alone and sleep, he left the room. Perhaps he would call Professor Oak and discuss his theories with his old teacher.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Drew woke up with an uncomfortable sensation in his shoulder. Suddenly, the scent of strawberries went into his nose and he saw something red and brown from the corner of his eye. Then he realized what was going on. He and May had fallen asleep and she was using his shoulder as a pillow. Drew looked outside through the glass doors to see that the sun had set and it was nighttime.

"I'd like to thank…my Pokemon…my family and friends…without them…I wouldn't have won…the Ribbon Cup," slurred May as she sleptalk about winning the Grand Festival.

Drew snickered quietly. It was rare she got a good nights rest. Though neither of them acknowledged it, May had still had nightmares about the guy that hurt her Eevee. She didn't scream or anything, just tossed and turned and cried a little. Though he wanted her to know that he was there for her, he knew she didn't want him to know about the nightmares. She would find it embarassing and somewhat pathetic. So he never bought it up, wanting to spare her the pain.

Deciding to let her sleep, he held up her head up with his hand and quickly but quietly got up. Gently and slowly, he laid her back down and she laid on her side, sleeping like a Snorlax. Oh, the irony. Drew walked out of the room, looking for Professor Elm.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

May awoke with a start, sitting up immediately and the blanket that had been draped over her slipped off and fell to the floor. She wished the nightmares would just stop. Straining to see her surroundings in the darkness and brief moonlight, she realized she was in the same room she had been in all day. And apparently, all night. It looked like she was alone in the room so she walked over to the washroom that was by the door. After washing off the sticky perspiration on her forehead, she walked out of the room, hoping to find Professor Elm or Drew.

Walking down the same empty hallway, which was creepy at night, she heard voices coming from the end of the hallway. And, as cliché as it sounded, a light at the end. It was when May heard a faint, familiar chuckle that she decided to investigate. She walked quickly, fearlessly, in to the light. When she walked in, she saw Drew and Professor Elm sitting at small rectangular table. They were talking.

"That's a very interesting theory, Professor. I never thought that was possible," said Drew, raising his cup and sipping his beverage. May assumed it was tea. Then, noticing May standing quietly and confused by the doorway, he spoke up, "Nice of you to join us, May."

"Hey, Drew, Professor," she greeted, somewhat shy. "Um, what time is it?"

"It's four in the morning," answered Professor Elm.

"You were out like a light," added Drew with a smirk.

"Four! I slept through the whole afternoon!" exclaimed May.

"Well, after what Drew told me about yesterday, you must've been tired. You and Drew saved my starter Pokémon. I don't know how to repay you."

"Don't worry about it," reassured May. Then her stomach growled.

Professor Elm chuckled. "How about I start with breakfast?"

"That sounds good." She grinned sheepishly as she sat down while Professor Elm walked over to the stove to fetch something edible for May.

"I fed your Pokémon, so don't worry," said Drew before she could even ask.

She smiled. "Thanks, Drew. Was it any trouble feeding Snorlax?"

"No, besides the aching pain in my back, it was no trouble."

"Oh, sorry, Drew."

"It's alright. Besides, we're lucky he's a professor so we had enough food to satisfy him."

After a long pause, she asked, "Snorlax is strong but it's gonna be hard to take him all over Johto. Do you think I should send him home or to Professor Oak's lab?" She didn't want to leave him behind. He was a powerhouse on her team, especially now that he evolved. But she wouldn't be able to provide everything he needed. Love wasn't enough to satisfy the big eater.

"Honestly, I think you should send him to Professor Oak's lab. He'd be better off there. And he can be with your Bulbasaur so he won't be lonely."

"And Ash's Snorlax."

"And, Professor Oak is one of the greatest professors in the world and has one of the biggest labs. He's bound to have plenty of food," added Drew.

"Wait, you aren't just saying that so I could get rid of one of my strongest Pokémon, are you?" she asked teasingly.

"Maybe." He had a teasing smile on his face.

"Here you go, May," interrupted Professor Elm, placing a bowl of soup in front of May.

"Thank you," she said, picking up the spoon. "I'm famished."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

After five bowls of soup and an hour-long discussion of various things, May asked, "Professor, can I use your phone?"

"Sure, May, it's right over there," he said, pointing to a green phone on the wall. It was the standard phone that most Pokémon Centers had. It almost looked like a computer.

She dialed Professor Oak's number and his faithful assistant, Tracey, answered.

"Hey, May."

"Hey. Is Professor Oak there?"

"Yeah, sure, give me a second…Professor! May wants to speak to you."

A few seconds later, an old man known as Professor Oak appeared on the screen.

"Hello, May. How can I help you?" he greeted, as polite as ever.

"Hey, Professor. I was wondering if it was okay if I could send a Pokémon over to you for you to take care of for a while."

"Sure, that won't be a problem. If I may ask, which Pokémon?"

"Snorlax," she said, stifling a nervous giggle as his eyes practically bulged out of his head.

"I see, Munchlax…evolved." After a moment, he said, "I guess that would be all right."

"Oh, thank you, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me!" May said, delighted.

"I can tell. Anyways, place in the Poké ball in the transporter," he instructing. She did as told. "Done?"

"Yes, sir," she answered.

"Okay," he replied as he tinkered with a keypad. Then the Poké ball glowed and then disappeared. Within seconds, Professor Oak held it up. It had been a success. "Got it."

"Thanks soooooooo much! Please take care of my Snorlax."

"Of course. Well, I'm to go show Snorlax around. Bulbasaur will be happy to see him."

"Okay. Thanks again. Bye."

"Goodbye." Then the screen went black. Now she was down to three Pokémon: Blaziken, Squirtle and Eevee.

"Well," said Drew, standing up, "we should really get going."

Walking over, she added, "Yeah, but thank you."

"It was no problem. Without you two, I wouldn't know what I would've done. Excuse me while I get your Pokédex, May. You two can go wait by the door." He walked out of the room, leaving May alone with Drew.

"Here's your stuff," he said, holding out May's yellow fanny pack and black backpack out to her.

Taking them, she thanked them and put them on. She was ready to go. She also made a mental note to carry around one or more Poké balls with her at all times.

They walked to the small room that was where held the front door of the spacious laboratory. After a few minutes, Professor Elm strolled in, followed by three familiar faces.

"They wanted to see you one last time," explained the Professor as he handed May her newly updated Pokédex.

"Thanks." She tucked it in safely in her fanny pack before saying to the trio of starters, "I'm gonna miss you guys. You're all so great. Behave, okay?"

"Chiko/Cynda/Toto!" they exclaimed in unison.

"All right. Well, goodbye, Professor," said May as Drew opened one of the double doors.

"Goodbye, you two. Good luck. Take care," he replied as he escorted them.

May and Drew waved as they walked towards the red arch that would lead them outside of the property. Just as they walked under it, they heard Professor Elm shouting, "Wait, come back."

Thinking he was talking to them, May and Drew turned around in time to see two of the three Pokémon running towards them as fast as their little feet could carry them.

"Chikorita/Cyndaquil…" said May and Drew as they saw the Pokémon that were in front of their feet.

Professor Elm ran over to them, followed by Totodile. "I think they want you two to be their trainers."

"They do?" asked May dubiously, looking down at Chikorita, staring at her crimson eyes.

"Chiko!"

"But, can we do that? Aren't they reserved?" asked Drew as he kneeled down to pet Cyndaquil.

"Well, only Totodile is reserved and she's coming by next week. And besides, the only thing that's important is their happiness," reminded Professor Elm.

"So, what do we do?" asked May.

"The only thing you can do," he began, tossing them each a Poké ball. One with a Grass-type symbol on top for May and a Fire-type symbol for Drew. "Train them."

"Is that really all right?" asked May, not wanting to get her hopes up only to get crushed in the end.

"Yes. It's the least you can do. After all, when you saved them, you won their love and trust. There's nobody better I think of to entrust one of my Pokémon to." He made it clear that this was what the Pokémon wanted.

"Yes!" exclaimed May as Chikorita jumped up on her. May carried her and spun in a circle. "Get ready, Chikorita! You're gonna be a superstar!"

"We'll beat them, Cyndaquil," Drew told his newest Pokémon with a crooked at smile directed at May.

"Cynda!" he agreed as its back blazed in determination.

May felt a fire within herself grow as well. The rivalry between them would never burn out. With narrowed blue eyes and a sly smile, she said, "We'll see about that, won't we, Chikorita?"

"Chiko!"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Whoo. Took me FOREVER to finish that. I'm so glad my computer is fixed. does a retarded happy dance Eventful chapter, huh? Was it worth the wait? Took me half a day to finish…on my birthday. Everyone was too busy to celebrate : (

LOL, and when I put "insert opening here", I actually wrote a song! Well, it's more of a poem, I guess. I'll post it up one day!

Character list continued!

i141./albums/r56/lalunytunes/TrainerCard.png

**Clay**- A young Team Rocket member with blue hair and eyes who instead of wearing a regular Rocket uniform, wears a black T-shirt with a red 'R' printed on it and black jeans, along with red tennis shoes. He is hopelessly in love with Allison who he treasures and is willing to protect no matter what. His only Pokémon is an Ariados.

**Allison- **Another young Team Rocket member who is Clay's partner and equally in love with him. She has wavy pink hair and violet eyes, as well as a red flower she keeps in her hair. Her attire includes a black tank top with a red 'R' printed on it, a black miniskirt and red flats. Her only Pokémon is a Gloom.

The Team Rocket duos are often named after outlaws. Jessie & James were named after Jessie James, Butch & Cassidy after Butch Cassidy and Atilla & Hun after Atilla the Hun (Who's not really an outlaw). I named Clay and Allison after Clay Allison, another outlaw.

Check out my new website! /elliexchan/home.html


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